Middle Of The Summer
by KasumiCho
Summary: Seto didn't let just anyone into his life, and Ali wasn't just anyone. Unfortunately chaos, violence, humour, and insanity all went along with Ali's definition of: one of a kind. So she made it her goal to show him how much fun it could all be. !COMPLETE!
1. Burn the Beast

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **1

**Title:** Prolongage

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

* * *

It had been three days since the letter had come home with Mokuba, sealed in a baby blue envelope, holding the chance for an interesting opportunity. Three days that Seto Kaiba had spent wondering if he was really so thrilled that this chance had been presented to his younger brother.

As the young CEO of his own dueling technology company, Kaiba Corporation, Seto had always envisioned that his brother's future would be to follow in his own footsteps and one day work for the company, perhaps take it over when Seto's rule had ended. However, three days ago when the young raven-haired Kaiba had skipped happily into his brother's study holding in his hands that blue envelope, Seto had to consider that at one point Mokuba might want to follow a different set of tracks for his own life.

"So are we going Seto?" the raven haired boy of eleven asked, his grayish eyes shining with excitement.

Yes, it had been three ago that Mokuba's elementary school music teacher had taken the initiative to set up a meeting with the highly regarded music department of McWilliams' Secondary School. Apparently his brother's musical talent far surpassed that of his peers and it had been his teacher's wish that he broaden his horizons as soon as possible.

Seto hadn't regarded of the young boy's interest in the musical arts as any more than a hobby until Mokuba had expressed his desire to explore related career possibilities.

"Yes, we'll leave shortly. Are you ready?" Seto replied looking up from his desktop computer where he had been doing some out-of-office work. His brother nodded smiling nervously, it was clear to many that the boy did not share his brother's calm demeanor. "Well you can go wait in the car, Frederic should be waiting in the front. I'll be out in just a few moments." The oldest Kaiba said giving a soft half-smile that was always reserved for his little brother and watching as the raven-haired child left the room.

Quickly he gathered a few stray papers from the top of his large oak desk and piled them neatly in to the corner. Noticing the light powder blue coloured paper at the top of the pile he picked it up and glanced it over yet again.

'_Mr. Kaiba—_

_It has come to my attention since Mokuba's participation in our school's band began that your brother's musical capabilities are not being challenged in our curriculum. After speaking to the head of McWilliams' high school music department I was able to arrange an interview that could allow Mokuba to gain an early acceptance into their advanced music course. This would in no away affect his study of other subjects, as he would be furthering his musical education outside of his regular classes._

_If you and your brother agree to take this opportunity the pre-arranged interview is this Saturday at 10:25am. You will be meeting with Mrs. Beatrice Gillis, the current head of the music department. We understand that your schedule may interfere with this meeting, however if you have any problems attending and wish for the interview to be rescheduled please do not hesitate to contact myself, or Mrs. Gillis herself._

_Sincerely,  
Mrs. Simone'_

Below her name Mokuba's teacher had left phone and fax numbers to reach both women at, luckily Seto had been able to fit the interview in to his Saturday schedule that week. Folding the letter and slipping it into one of his drawers the nineteen-year-old stood up put on the white trench coat hanging by the door and left to join his brother in the sleek black car they were being driven in.

--

"It is my understanding that you were referred here by Mrs. Elaine Simone, from your elementary school, correct?" Mrs. Gillis asked Mokuba while she flipped though his records and a few letters of recommendation that had been put together by his current teachers.

Mokuba nodded shyly, not even bothering to hide his anxiety as he sat on one of the two large pinewood chairs placed in front of the large desk of a matching wood. The woman behind the desk was in her mid fifties with copper coloured hair held on top of her head with globs of hairspray and a face that much represented the face of a hound dog… though much less friendly.

She peered up from her papers. "I'm not going to lie, Mr. Kaiba but your brother's age is of mild concern. It says here that he is… eleven. Most of our students are in this particular program are in their senior year and plan on attending musical institutes for their post-secondary education." She explained staring at Seto though squinted eyes.

Seto looked from his brother, who was currently staring at his feet, back to the grotesque woman in front of them.

"Although I understand your concern, he was referred for a reason, I do not believe that the faculty at his current school would have asked us here today unless there was a belief that Mokuba could handle the curriculum." Seto said calmly, he wasn't overly impressed at the woman's lack of faith, then again he himself had no real understanding of his brother's talents.

"Well I suppose that we could line up an audition, and perhaps have him admitted to the program for next fall…" she said, looking over a calendar sitting on her desk and flipping a few months ahead.

Mokuba looked incredibly rejected, obviously this had not been the arrangement that he had hoped to be getting.

"… of course going from and elementary education in to this level of study could pose a problem, so his first year would be spent doing an introductory program…" she said emotionlessly.

Seto frowned, either this program was a very big deal, or this woman was deliberately giving him a hard time. He was just about to remind her that he could offer a generous contribution to their department but the doors slammed open and a loud voice interrupted him.

"I am so done here!"

The three people currently conversing in the room turned to the doorway where a medium height girl stood, she looked about eighteen. Long stringy blonde hair pulled up in to a messy pony tail that hung between her shoulders, she had pasty skin though freckles spread over the bridge of her nose.

Mrs. Gillis' jaw dropped as the young blonde stalked across the room and slammed her palms down on the older woman's desk, accidentally knocking a few papers off in her haste.

"Miss Shvakova, I hope one of your students has died or become lethally injured. Otherwise you have no reason to interrupt me in a meeting." Gillis seethed, her face turned a blotchy shade of red.

"I'm about to lethally injure one of them!" the blonde exclaimed loudly. "When I signed up to do this, I didn't know that I would be stuck with a bunch of bratty-ass sophomores!"

"Aldorina I strongly advise you to leave this room immediately, otherwise I will be forced to ask you to leave our building permanently." The head of the music department hissed, glancing towards Seto.

For the first time since she had entered the room Aldorina turned to look at the Kaiba brothers, here eyes resting on Mokuba.

"Oh! Is this the kid?" she asked, her dark drown eyes widening as she looked him over, as if suddenly drained of her rage she leaned back against her superior's desk looking strangely relaxed even though her attitude was (as Seto would have said) unacceptable when dealing with her boss. "I'm Ali." She said smiling widely at the raven-haired boy. "You got a name?"

"Who he is, is not any of your concern." Gillis snapped, obviously irritated. "Leave my office."

"What do you play?" Ali asked, completely ignoring the older woman's orders. Mokuba looked at the young woman with confusion written all over his face.

Rolling her eyes at his silence she snatched his records from the department head's hands and looked them over herself. "Impressive…" she muttered flipping though the sheets then frowning. "Let me guess… an audition within the next six months then a one year introductory course?" she inquired more towards Gillis than the young boy.

"Those were the arrangements we were discussing before you barged in, yes." The copper-haired woman said slowly, her eyes holding a somewhat inquisitive look. "Did you have a better idea?" the question was spoken as though there was no answer.

"Actually… yes." Ali said, her eyes lighting up as though she had suddenly come to some kind of conclusion. Her brown eyes darted from the papers to Mokuba, and then back to the woman behind the desk who was staring back at her with a raised eyebrow. "Well in his recommendation letter from Mrs. Simone, it says that he picks things up more easily than anyone she had ever seen… so I'm thinking, what if he doesn't need a full year to study introductory? What if he had a tutor, maybe he could get things done now and be able to enter in to the actual program a year earlier?" she spoke quickly staring at her boss and motioning to Mokuba whenever he was mentioned. "If he's as quick of a learner as she says... he would definatly benefit from one-on-one and get things done must, much faster!"

"Well, you know how I feel about giving special treatment… and where would we find a tutor for him? Not to mention that you are far ahead of yourself Aldorina, perhaps he wouldn't even make it past the audition."

Ali thought it over, her eyebrows tucked in to each other and she was mindlessly chewing at her mildly chapped lips as she thought. Then she slowly looked back at the paper currently in her hand before looking back at Mokuba smirking suspiciously and taking off quickly from the room.

The three sat there in silence from a moment before Gillis spoke.

"I apologize for her… she's only been here a week and has already found herself to be more trouble than most of our students."

"What does she do?" Mokuba finally spoke up, his mood seemed more hopeful since Ali's appearance.

"Well she's been volunteering for teaching the second year students applied musical theory. She graduated from her high school in America three months ago, unfortunately she's looking to get in to W.C Little University for the Arts here in Japan, and in order to gain acceptance there she needs a specific number of volunteer hours… which she is lacking."

Mokuba looked confused. "So she's American? But she speaks Japanese so well."

"No, she is originally from Russia. I'm not entirely filled in on her story; she just showed up in my office and told me she wanted to teach kids. It's my understanding that she has been back-and-forth from America to Japan for some time now."

"Alright! Come with me… uhm… what was your name?" Ali asked stepping excitedly back in to the room after about five minutes, looking extremely proud of herself.

"Mokuba." The raven-haired boy answered looking at his older brother, as if asking for permission to join her.

"And you're… who?" she asked following Mokuba's gaze to Seto.

"Seto Kaiba. I am Mokuba's brother, as well as legal guardian." The nineteen year old answered; his voice held no emotion but his face was etched with mild annoyance.

"Oh, okay. Well Mokuba you come with me, and Gillis… you might want to come too." She smirked towards the frigid woman.

"Where are you taking him?"

"Oh… I got a room cleared out so we can do his audition right now."

As soon as she heard this Mrs. Gillis' eyes bulged and her face turned red with anger.

"We don't even have enough information to know what kind of audition is to be held! And how did you clear a room?! Our music rooms are reserved for classes ahead of time, Miss Shvakova." She said, her voice shaking angrily.

"Not if they're being 'fumigated'…" Ali mumbled smirking evilly, before turning and ushering Mokuba up and out of the room. After being on the receiving end of and irritated glare Mrs. Gillis stood to follow the two, Seto trailing behind her.

After turning and walking though several hallways they found Mokuba and Ali in a large empty room, chairs escalating upwards in rows each one with a music stand placed in front of it, it was probably used as a practice room for the music department.

In the far corner Ali sat behind a large piano playing a jazz piece, it wasn't overly complicated, but something that a beginner wouldn't be able to master quickly. Mokuba stood next to her studying her hands as they played and listening intently with a look of concentration evident on his boyish features. As Seto and Gillis approached the two Ali stopped playing and regarded her superior with a quirky grin.

"Okay, Mokuba… now I want you to listen once more and take as much of it in as you can." She spoke to him softly. Once again she started in to the short piece and Seto watched as his brother gave his undivided attention to the sounds emitting from the instrument, the boy's fingers twitched slightly in time with the notes.

After a few moments of playing the blonde stopped and stood up, pushing the young Kaiba down on the bench and joining the two older people watching him.

"Now play as much of it as you can." She said smoothly.

"Oh Aldorina, that's completely and utterly ridiculous! He's a child you can't just expect him to be able to--" Gillis was cut off as Mokuba began to play the same tune that he had just heard sprout from the eighteen-year-old hands moments ago. It was slower, and slightly off beat, but all of the notes were there. Ali smirked knowingly as Mrs. Gillis stared shocked at the young boy whose face was wrinkled in concentration.

Seto didn't know much about piano, or music in general, but judging by the department head's shock, this was not something that most students his age could do so easily, he felt a small spark of pride glow within him at his brother's accomplishment although he tried to not let it register on his face.

Mokuba ended the tune, though clumsily, as he had only heard it twice and had not committed the full piece to memory. Ali clapped loudly, a toothy smile shot towards the boy and then a thumbs-up gesture. "Awesome, kid! Now on the piano there's a bit of sheet music, are you familiar with reading music?" she asked stepping towards him slightly. Mokuba nodded and looked up at the papers sitting in front of him propped up against the piano itself. His eyes looked over a few lines before returning to the face of the Russian teen.

"Uhm… it looks kind of complicated…" he said shyly.

"Don't worry about it, just play it for us and try your best." A friendly smile fell over Ali's face as she instructed him. Slowly Mokuba began to play, clumsily, as he kept looking from the music to his hands on the keyboard. But the music was clear and aside from the occasional off-key note he was playing well.

"Well, Miss Shvakova, I will admit that this is fascinating, and quite impressive." The copper-haired woman admitted grudgingly.

"No, what's fascinating is the fact that if you'd read his file – which you must not have – you would already know that Mokuba has been playing violin, and has only basic training in piano." She smirked, and then for the first time since her arrival she looked at Seto. "The kid is a freaking genius!" she exclaimed, though he sent a sour glance towards her at the informal reference to his brother, although he nodded curtly looking back towards Mokuba who was stumbling slightly over the complicated bridge of the song.

"Well, Aldorina since you have taken such a great interest in this child, and seem to have picked up more on his talents than I would have, why don't you tutor him though the introduction curriculum?" Mrs. Gillis asked. "Of course, we will need to get Mr. Kaiba's permission before any actions are taken." She explained looking towards Seto.

Seto furrowed his brow at this, he didn't particularly like Ali's attitude towards her superior, and her irresponsible behavior wasn't something he wanted Mokuba to pick up, but Mokuba did seem to like the girl. And she understood his talents more than even Mrs. Gillis did, and she was the head of the department.

Mokuba finished playing and had wandered back towards the rest of them; Ali immediately gave him a high-five and ruffled his hair, grinning goofily. "Hey kiddo that was really good!" she smiled, and Mokuba returned the gesture before turning to his brother.

"Well, if you think she is the best for the job, then we can set up weekly lessons." Seto said, his brother's eyes shining with accomplishment and he hugged the older boy around the waist.

"YES!" Ali exclaimed pumping her fist in to the air. "No more bitchy teenaged shit-heads!"

Mrs. Gillis' jaw dropped at the younger girls choice of wording in front of their newest benefactor, Seto Kaiba, and she immediately grabbed the blonde by the wrist and hauled her out of the room sending a hasty 'we'll call you' over her shoulder, and ordering a passing student to show the two brothers out.

Mokuba laughed softly as they passed the glass window of Gillis' office on their way out, the woman was red in the face and appeared to be shouting at Ali who stared lazily out the window, though smiled and waved when she saw the two Kaiba's walk past the window.

"This is so great, huh Seto!?" Mokuba smiled excitedly as he and his brother climbed back in to their car and their driver began to pull away from McWilliams' Secondary School. Seto looked down at his younger brother who was clearly thrilled by the past hour's events. He pat the raven-haired child on the shoulder and sent him a gentle half-smile.

"As long as you're happy."

* * *

Yup yup, there you have the first of many! Pretty boring... but the first chapter is never filled with mad action. We saw a bit of Ali, and got the beginning of the plot line rolling along. So leave me a few words, darlings, and I'll update for you!

Ciao!  
KC.


	2. Six Tailed Fox

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **2

**Title:** Six-Tailed Fox

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

* * *

Seto stared up at the apartment building in front of he and his brother, glancing down at the small scrap of paper he had scribbled the address down on, confirming that they were in the right place. It was only two days after the (less than conventional) meeting at the high school and Mrs. Gillis had already contacted the brothers to let them know that Mokuba would be receiving tutoring from Ali. The evening before she had called, leaving a message with the girl's address where they could meet with her personally the next afternoon.

"Let's go." Mokuba said tugging impatiently at his brother's sleeve and staring up at him. Taking the queue Seto led his brother though the front door and up the stair case. Ali's apartment was located on the second floor, so they wouldn't have to walk for long, although Seto was put off by the lack of an elevator, or door man for that matter.

Mokuba's excitement was obvious as they walked down the hall looking for apartment 12; he was rubbing his own palms with his thumbs, occasionally shuddering. Seto couldn't help but smirk slightly at his brother's actions, it seemed no matter how much older Mokuba got he maintained the adorable habits that always made him the center of so much affection, even from strangers.

"Here." Seto motioned to the door they were looking for, behind the peeling brown paint and bronze numbers they heard a loud banging noise, after a moment Seto registered it as someone banging expertly on a drum set. Raising a fist to knock he wondered if the blonde would even hear their attempts at getting her to the door.

Obviously, she didn't because after several moments passed there was no answer and the banging continued.

Mokuba stared again at his brother's face, and noticed annoyance etched across his sharp features as her tried again, knocking slightly louder but to no avail, the drumming seemed to be getting louder as the beat quickened.

"Might as well just walk right in." a soft voice behind the brothers said. They turned around to meet a pair of tangerine-coloured eyes framed by shortly cropped navy hair. The tanned girl was smirking at the two of them. "She won't hear you, when Li-Li gets wound up in her own little world, sometimes she'll lock herself in there for days."

"Li-Li?" Mokuba asked tentatively his eyes curious as he stared at the tall girl, probably the same age as Ali.

"Aldorina, Ali… it's just a cute little nickname I call her, of course don't mention it or I'm sure she'll call you a few names, and I doubt they'll be as cute." She laughed "I'm Samara, by the way." She explained offering he hand to Mokuba who shook it, then she turned to Seto.

"So who are you two?" she asked curiously. "Friends of Ali's?"

"Mokuba is going to be her student for some time, I'm Seto--"

"Kaiba, right!" Samara shook her head as if scolding herself for forgetting. "I recognize you from… well everywhere." She laughed. "Good for Ali, I was starting to think she'd fly back to the States, she wasn't too thrilled with the kids at McWilliams'."

"Yeah, she was quitting before we met." Mokuba said cocking his head to the side and glancing back at the door, obviously anxious to meet with the Russian girl.

"Well I have loads of homework, gotta love college…" Samara rolled her eyes and shifted the school bag on her shoulder. "Nice to meet you though."

Before she continued down the hall she pushed open the door to Ali's apartment and shouted over the booming noise.

"Li-Li! You've got people here!"

After Samara had disappeared in to her own apartment and the drumming had stopped the brothers were left facing Ali. Her stringy hair left loose and it hung past her shoulders messily, looking as though she had just rolled out of bed and not bothered with brushing it. She lifted the back of her hand to her forehead wiping away some sweat that had appeared while she had gotten carried away drumming.

Seto regarded her clothing with slight annoyance, she was wearing a loose-fitting white t-shirt that hung past her hips, a red outline of a smiley-face with large 'x's where it's eyes would have been and a knife sticking from its head. The words 'Smiley Massacre' were printed in a large black font below the picture. A pair of worn out blue jeans completed the apparel, small rips on knee and what looked like a grass-stain covered the other.

"Oh, what are you guys doing here? Was that today? What time is it?" she blabbered more to herself than to the two standing in her doorway. Staring past her head Seto noticed a calendar carelessly tacked to the wall, the month read February even though it was November he frowned, not accustom to such disorganization.

"Well come in, unless you had something personal to tell my doorway… should I leave you to share secrets in private?" Ali asked sarcastically, Mokuba chuckled while Seto sent her an icy glare and stepped in.

The apartment was small, one-bedroom and cluttered with papers and empty pop cans. The drum set which had originally greeted them sat in one corner, the drumsticks lay on the coffee table which could barley be seem beneath all the papers covering it. An acoustic guitar took up one half of the old green couch opposite the table, and a keyboard on a stand took up the opposite corner.

"Don't people complain about the noise?" Mokuba asked breaking the silence that had fallen over the three while Ali moved the guitar to give them room to sit.

"Nah, this floor is pretty much just college students who play music anyway, besides everyone loves my rockin' skills." Ali replied smirking goofily ruffling the eleven-year-old's raven coloured hair. "You want anything to drink?" she offered stepping towards the kitchen which was barley ten feet from where she was already standing next to the coffee table. Mokuba shook his head and Seto gave a declining shake of his own towards the blonde who shrugged entering the kitchen.

"Mrs. Gillis informed me that you may want to work out the schedule of Mokuba's lessons with us, and run us through what the two of you will be covering." Seto said seating himself next to Mokuba on the couch.

"Wow, I thought you were just being formal like that for Gillis." Ali murmured, emerging from the kitchen holding a can of ginger ale. She sat down on the wooden stool placed by the drum set. "But yeah sure."

She paused taking a thoughtful drink from the can before continuing. "I was hoping that I could fly the kid out to Vegas, and teach him all about performing at casinos. Pretty intense shows go down there, plus it's Vegas… so we could play Craps to pay for our flight back." Her voice was serious as she stared at Seto whose jaw had gone slack with shock. "Don't worry, we'll have a place to stay, my friend Marc… or did he change it to Marcy…" she looked like she was in thought "I'm not sure if he went through with the operation yet. Anywhoo… he… or she- I guess we'll see- has a place there. We'd be alone there during the nights since Marc usually works the streets until about 6 in the morning."

Seto's eyes were fixed on the blonde, not blinking, he looked as though he would have her institutionalized if she said another word.

After a few moments of silence Ali started laughing obnoxiously. "I'm kidding! Jesus, I hope the kid is more fun than you are." She complained rolling her brown eyes. Seto looked like he was about to leave, and in his mind he was racing through all the reasons why he didn't want this lunatic around Mokuba.

"You… play drums?" Mokuba asked awkwardly, obviously sensing his brother's muscles tense.

Ali looked to the drum set in front of her. "Yeah, it's my personal fave." She answered, grinning and putting down her ginger ale on the floor next to her. "Ever play?"

Mokuba shook his head, he had never really taken much interest in percussion instruments, maybe it was his brother's influence but he liked to hear a definable melody in the music, neat and organized.

"Well, I think you could probably pull it off it 'ya tried." Ali said, obviously bored as she began twirling a strand of her dull blonde hair between her fingers. Seto noticed that her nails were short and her cuticles looked as if she chewed them often. "Hey Mokie-Boo, you play violin, oui?" she asked suddenly dropping her hair and staring at Mokuba intently. The raven-haired boy smirked at the pet name, it wasn't often he was treated so casually, especially in the presence of his brother, in fact he was often regarded as 'Mr. Kaiba' even though he was only in the sixth grade.

"Yes." He answered, although he knew that she was already aware of the fact.

"Grab that guitar there, and mess with it a bit… all string instruments have the same basic design, once you get one you can pretty much figure them all out." She said motioning to the acoustic guitar she had leaned up against the side of the couch he was sitting on.

As the raven-haired plucked a few notes softly on the instrument Ali turned her attention to Seto. "And what do you play?"

Seto's blue eyes met the curious brown ones that were looking intently as him. "I don't." he muttered glancing at his watch and remaining stiffly seated on the couch.

Ali looked slightly shocked by this. "Really? Even a bit… you've never dabbled in anything, even as a child?" she asked leaning towards the chestnut haired CEO, who shook his head annoyed.

"Where did he pick it up?" Ali asked her eyes darting to the younger Kaiba who was becoming more comfortable with the guitar, picking out notes and slowly turning them in to a simple melody.

"I don't know." Seto said slowly, also regarding his brother. Ali didn't know the older boy well enough to appreciate him admitting he didn't know something, after all they were words that rarely passed over Seto's lips.

"Hm."

There was another silence hanging over the room, broken only by the soft strumming of Mokuba's fingers over the guitar's strings. After a while Ali had closed her eyes and was leaning the back of her head against the wall behind her. Seto glanced down at some of the papers strewn across the coffee table, and picked one up.

It was a sheet of ruled binder paper with what looked like lyrics scribbled in spidery handwriting, outside the pink margins several doodles decorated the page. He looked over the pictures, probably drawn out of boredom, one tiny stick man stood atop a ladder holding a pair of scissors to cut down another stick man who appeared to be hanging by neck in a noose.

His eyes darted, again to the Russian girl, he didn't think she was sane enough to take on the responsibility of teaching a child anything without destroying their morals. As if feeling his eyes on her Ali's eyes opened meeting his and her hand shot up to snatch the paper from his own. She looked it over before snorting and tossing it back on the table.

"Crappy. Writer's block is never kind… and I was in a freaking box that week." She said chewing absently at her bottom lip, wincing in pain as she bit too hard over an old wound, a tiny bead of blood appeared only to be flicked away by her tongue milliseconds later. "I'm bored." She whined, standing up.

Mokuba stopped playing and set the guitar back on the floor leaning against the couch and watched as Ali walked to the door pulling on a pair of extremely scuffed, purple doc martins. "Let's go for a walk."

Seto stared at her, like she was insane. "Like… _that_?" he asked regarding her clothes, and mussed up hair. She met his gaze and frowned.

"Fine you can stay here, me and Mokie will go." She snapped, gently grabbing Mokuba's shoulder and pulled him though the door not even bothering to lace up her boots. Sighing in annoyance Seto got up to follow the two, shutting the door behind him. As he trailed behind the two down the hall he wondered if he wouldn't have been better off just hiring a personal tutor for his brother.

A high laugh erupted from the raven-haired boy ahead of him as the blonde girl made a face, which was probably impersonating of a gold fish. Seto grimaced, knowing that his brother didn't often laugh like that, and anyone who could evoke such happiness from him with so little effort would have to be kept around.

"There's this amazing little music shop a few blocks from here, I'm taking you." Ali declared as they left the apartment building and stepped in to the chilly fall air, the blonde was glad that she had remembered to grab a sweater and fumbled with the zipper on the old black hoodie that was several sizes too big on her.

Seto nodded stepping towards the car, where Frederic was politely waiting for the brothers. He was just reaching towards the door when Ali stared at him confused.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting in the car, clearly." Seto said, annoyed at her question. Anyone with half-decent vision could see what he was doing.

"Uhm, it's only a few blocks to walk, I think you'll survive without Lurch wasting gas and polluting our planet." The blonde scolded frowning at the brunette. "God, you're a rich brat."

If looks could kill Seto would have just murdered Ali seven times over, unfortunately the Russian girl was well aware that looks couldn't kill, so she only smirked triumphantly at him and began strolling down the street leaving Mokuba to stare at his brother helplessly.

"Seto…?"

"She better have you playing cello with your feet, in a blindfold… by next week." Seto grumbled storming after the girl angrily as Mokuba tried to keep up with both older teens

After several minutes of walking in an irritated silence Ali finally slowed outside of a small brick building, a dirty window which had several flyers advertising local bands taped to the inside of it, fronting the store. Seto frowned in disapproval as they stepped inside and the smell of dust and vinyl filled their noses.

"Ah, man I wish they could bottle that." The blonde sighed breathing the scent in deeply. The oldest Kaiba could only look at her in disgust as she relished in the musty air of the store.

"Wow chickie, it's only been three days and you come back to me with a family!" a sarcastic voice taunted. Turning to face the speaker the three teens were greeted by the smiling face of an old man standing behind the cash counter next to them. He was wearing an unbuttoned, long sleeved, plaid shirt over a grey wife beater which was tucked in to a pair of worn out carpenter jeans.

"Oh yes, you know me, _always_ on the look-out for a husband and children." Ali replied sarcastically.

"Where 'ya been kiddo?" he asked coming out from behind his desk and messing up the already unruly blonde hair on the Russian's head. "I thought you'd dropped off the face of the earth."

"Meh, had to deal with the terror that is Mrs. Gillis…" she sighed staring absently at the sick looking goldfish in a small glass bowl near the cash register. "Make any exciting new discoveries, Murph?"

The man shook his head, the greasy mop of grey hair barely moving as he did so, he turned his tanned face to the two boys that had accompanied Ali in to the store. "So are you going to introduce yourselves? Or are we waiting for Al to suddenly develop social courtesy, because if that's the case then I'll warn you: I only have a few good years left in my life and they won't be spent waiting to chickie-poo to get manners."

"Oh hah-hah Murphy… that was so funny, I forgot to laugh."

Murphy snorted, "Dudette, that line is older than I am."

Ali rolled her eyes before motioning to the old man, "This is Murphy, and Murphy…" she pointed towards the two others "… meet Mokuba, and Ice-Man-destroyer-of-humour." She announced as if introducing a super hero. "Mokuba is my new fledgling, he's a fucking genius."

"Well hopefully he doesn't inheirit your vocabulary." Murphy sighed before brightening up. "Well why don't you go look around," he offered to Mokuba who nodded and started off in to the store. "and don't you have a birthday coming up, Al?" he asked.

"Well… in about seven months, yep." She replied watching Mokuba as he sorted though a few records before he lost interest and stared fascinated at the assortment of electric guitars hanging from the wall. "Why?"

"Wait here, I got somethin' for 'ya in the back." He said before disappearing in to the back room of the store.

Ali turned to Seto studying his face for a few moments before he looked back at her. "What do you want?"

"A heaping plate of vindictive argument with a side of pain and suffering." She replied coyly. "But a basic exchange of words will suffice."

Seto stared at her, not quite sure what to make of the girl. When he didn't respond she rolled her eyes and continued. "So you can drop Mokuba at my place after school every day for a few hours, and if he improves quickly we can cut down the lessons to three or four times a week."

Seto furrowed his brow, remembering the Russian girl's apartment; he wasn't exactly crazy about the idea of his brother visiting there regularly. "Why don't you just go back to our house with Mokuba, I could arrange for the driver to pick you up on his way."

"Oh yeah, that would totally work… but according to Mokuba you don't have any instruments, and I don't really feel like hauling mine back and forth every day." Ali drawled rolling her eyes and staring at Seto, noting (much to her annoyance) that he was almost a full head taller than her. He shrugged looking away from her gaze.

"I'll pick some up."

The blonde looked like she was going to fall over. "You don't just 'pick up' instruments! They're really expensive, and it takes a while to get a good collection going." She said loudly, motioning at the wall of guitars. "Those are at least five-hundred bucks a pop, it took me a year of saving to finally be able to afford a decent one." She exclaimed, though the brunette didn't seem at all phased. In fact he was just opening his mouth to mention that money wasn't really an issue, but Murphy appeared next to them holding a badly wrapped gift, it didn't take much thought to figure out that it was a record.

"You just wrapped this, just now… didn't you?" Ali asked, laughing and grabbing the record carelessly ripping the wrapping off and tossing it on to the counter.

"I didn't think it was of much importance, seeing as you'd just tear right through it."

"Presentation is important, loser." Ali retorted, but her attitude seemed to disappear when she saw what was beneath the wrapping, her jaw dropped. "Oh… my _god_." She breathed as if speaking above a whisper would make the gift disappear from her hands.

"Yup, got it in last week. I decided you were the only person who would really enjoy it, so consider it an early b-day gift." Murphy smirked, he was about to say something else, but the Russian girl tackled him in excitement wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I can't believe you got this! I can't believe you gave it to me! I mean… wow, do you know how rare this is? Of course you do!" she ranted staring at the record. "I mean, the Zombies… _Odyssey & Oracle_. I will be forever in your debt." She bowed to the man; it was the first respectful gesture Seto had seen her extend, even there was a mocking air about it.

Seto looked at the record in her hands, studding the design of the cover and frowned. "They spelt it 'Oddessey'," he mumbled. "That's not right."

"No, but it is half the fun of the record. The cover designer messed it up, and the band tried to cover by saying it was an 'international error'." Ali explained completing her statement with air-quotes. "Of course this was all back in 1968, when the LP was released." she continued. Seto only grunted in reply, though moments later she shoved the gift in to his hand and joined Mokuba who had been examining the same guitar for the past ten minutes.

"You've got your hands full with that one." Murphy chuckled turning to Seto. "She never really grasped the meaning of 'boundaries'."

* * *

Hm, I'm not too sure about this one. But it'll do.  
REVIEW!

Ciao!  
Kasum-acula.


	3. Menace to Sobriety

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **3

**Title:** Menace to Sobriety

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

* * *

Ali stood in the doorway of her apartment building sheltered from the rain that had decided to plague Domino city that afternoon. She sighed, irritated by the warm damp atmosphere. Her straight hair, which had been combed down was already frizzing because of all the water in the air. Grumbling she removed the hair elastic that was around her wrist and messily tied the blonde mess into an untidy ponytail.

Glancing at her watch she realized that she still had a few minutes before Mokuba's driver came to pick her up to drive her to the Kaiba's house for the first time. She reached in to the pocket of her cerulean blue hoodie and pulled out a pack of cigarettes raising one to her lips and lighting it. After a few careless puffs of the thing she began rooting through the black canvas bag she had thrown a few things into prior to leaving, CDs, sheet music, guitar picks, headphones and several other oddities that she had predicted could come in handy.

Finding what she had been looking for she removed a notebook and pen sitting down on the dry area of the sidewalk she began to scribble broken fragments of would-be-lyrics and trying to make them mesh together. She was humming away, searching for a melody which would fit the song she had been attempting to finish since the week before, when she heard a car pull up in from of her.

"Finally." She huffed, hoisting herself from the pavement, tossing the unfinished cigarette in to a nearby puddle, and darting towards the back door of the car, in an attempt to remain dry.

"Hi Ali!" Mokuba chimed as she tripped in to the car and landed next to him. On the back seat, the interior of the car was crisp and clean.

"Hey little guy." She grinned down at him, he was still wearing his school uniform, which didn't surprise her as Seto had explained that she would be picked up and brought home with Mokuba. "So what'd you learn today within the Gates of Hell?"

Mokuba giggled lightly. "Symmetry, ecosystems and… grammar." He replied meeting Ali's brown eyes which were widened in shock.

"Dude… when I was your age I just launched spit-balls at the chalk board for a few hours until they sent me home." The blonde sighed leaning back in her seat and staring at the tattered hems of her jean legs.

"Really?" Mokuba asked. Ali looked back at him suddenly noticing that he was gazing at her as if she had just sprouted an extra head.

"Uhm… yes…" she said slowly, realizing that if the raven-haired boy suddenly began acting out she would be to blame. "But every night, all of the spit-balls I launched around the class would return and dance on my headboard chanting satanic prayers!" she said quickly in an attempt to scare Mokuba out of misbehaving.

He looked at her, narrowing his grey eyes skeptically, "I don't believe you…" he stated, although his tone made her think he was trying more to convince himself, than her.

"Fine, don't believe me, but I speak only the truth."

"My big brother told me that I should never believe anything just because someone tells me it's the truth." Mokuba said proudly.

"And you believed him?"

"Of course."

"But how do you know he was telling the truth?" she asked a smirk breaking out over her face. "I mean, if he told you not to believe people, doesn't it defeat the point when he expects you to believe him?"

Mokuba thought her words over, his face holding a reserved look as he did so. Ali couldn't help but wonder why he was so adorably sweet while the older Kaiba seemed so bitter. Finally Mokuba shook his had, ruffling his long hair as he did so. "Seto wouldn't lie to me."

"But _I_ might." The blonde concluded smiling widely.

"So the spit-balls didn't come back to haunt you!" the raven-haired boy announced triumphantly.

"No, they did…" Ali started, "but only the ones I made out of graphing paper. That shit is haunted."

After a moment of confused silence Ali remembered why she hadn't wanted to hold the lessons at the Kaiba's house in the first place. "What are we supposed to do tonight, anyway?" she asked. "You told me that you guys didn't have any instruments aside from your violin."

Mokuba grinned widely. "Seto sent some people to get some yesterday. We got a piano and a few guitars, and a drum set, too." The boy said excitedly. "But I didn't get to play them last night because the movers had to put them all in the new music room and I was in bed when that happened."

Ali tried to keep her jaw from hitting the floor, she had known that the boys were a little wealthier than the average middle class citizen, but didn't predict it was to such and extent. "Wow…" she muttered, finally. "You're brother is a spoiled brat…"

For the first time since they had met only four days ago, Ali recognized unhappiness in Mokuba's eyes, directed towards her. Instantly she felt a slight note of guilt creeping in to her chest but shrugged it off as soon as it had appeared reminding herself that her statement had been true, Seto was a brat. His parents give him loads of cash and he takes it for granted.

"That's not true…" Mokuba said quietly, making Ali realize that she had said the last bit out loud. "Seto works all the time, everything we have, he earned."

Suddenly the blonde's eyes widened with realization, she gasped as all things fell in to place in her mind, and she scolded herself for being so late to discover why the boys had so much money, and why Seto was so high on himself. Of course with all the thoughts running through her head she only managed to speak once the car had pulled in to the long driveway of their destination and she and Mokuba had left the vehicle.

"Kaiba Corp!" she exclaimed. "That's your guys' company?!"

Mokuba nodded, smiling now that she understood. "It's Seto's, mostly though."

"You must be shitting me…" Ali groaned staring up at the white mansion that loomed over her, surrounded by well kept gardens and several trees. "I suck at life…" she muttered to herself beginning the ascent of the stairs leading to the front double-doors.

As soon as they entered Ali felt a rush of cold enter her body, not from the temperature within the mansion, but from the impression of walking in to such a home.

Home?

It didn't look much like a home.

Everything was so clean it shone, everything was huge, everything seemed so generic for the home of the wealthy. The floor looked freshly waxed, and the scent of lemon cleaner entered her nostrils, however faintly.

"Oh hello young Kaiba." An elderly man greeted them, instantly taking Mokuba's coat and school bag; Ali couldn't help but roll her eyes. The man's voice was leaded with a heavy English accent, his grey hair was neatly trimmed and the black coat-tails he wore looked freshly ironed.

In short… he was just too stereotypical to be real.

Subconsciously the blonde pinched herself on the arm, groaning loudly at the pain. Only after hearing the noise did the butler turn to look at her. His face was unreadable as he racked his eyes over her several times before speaking.

"Oh… you must be Miss Shvakova. Mr. Kaiba informed that you would be arriving with Mokuba…" he spoke slowly, as if surprised that Seto would have allowed such a _creature_ into the manor. "You may call me Roswell."

"Dude, like the aliens?" the Russian girl asked excitedly, her brown eyes staring intently at him. (1)

"No."

"Oh…"

After a few short moments of silence Mokuba spoke up. "Is my brother home yet?" he asked hopefully.

"No, Mr. Kaiba had to stay late at the office, however he called to let us know he would be present for dinner." Roswell answered. Mokuba's face didn't register any form of disappointment, it seemed as though this conversation was an everyday occurrence. "Now, young sir you should go up to your quarters and change out of your school clothes. Miss Shvakova--"

"It's Ali."

"Miss Ali--"

"Yeah… no, just Ali. Skip the formalities, 'kay? Mr. Area 51." The blonde chirped, punching her elder lightly on the shoulder.

"Your sweater is wet. Shall I take it for you?" the man offered grimly, clearly unimpressed with her behavior. Ali nodded shoving her cigarettes and lighter into the black bag she had brought, removing the sweater and handing it to him. Roswell took the bright blue piece of clothing, and after giving a curt bow her way, promptly exited the front room.

Standing alone in the massive foyer of the Kaiba mansion Ali suddenly felt extremely out of place, absent-mindedly pulling a loose string from the hem of her baggy black t-shirt 'The Clash' written in white, shoulder-to-shoulder in the band's trademark font. After a few seconds she decided to look around. Casually wandering to the closet near the front door, sliding open the white doors she grimaced at the fact that this coat closet was slightly larger than her own bedroom.

"I need a kick-ass job." She muttered sitting on the floor and yanking off her deep purple doc martins, chucking them carelessly in to the closet before standing and closing the door.

"Ali! Come help me with my homework!" Mokuba said cheerfully, trotting down the stairs towards her, dressed in a yellow t-shirt and a pair of clean jeans. In his arms were a binder and a few loose sheets of paper. Before she could protest, he was walking quickly in to another room, leaving the blonde girl to follow.

"I'm not so great at homework; it wasn't my strongest subject in school." Ali said as she sat down across from Mokuba at the large white kitchen table.

"That's okay, if there's something we can't figure out, Seto will be able to help later on." The eleven-year-old explained, pulling out a fifth grade, math activity book and scribbling down answers, obviously excited to get to his first music lesson with the girl.

Ali groaned. "Can't you just do this after?"

"Mokuba must complete his homework before engaging in any other activities, Miss Shvakova." Roswell's depressingly stereotypical voice sounded from behind the blonde girl. Gasping in surprise, Ali whipped around in her chair and bashing her elbow against the table, hissing in pain she began to rub it.

"What the hell?! Were you a freaking cat in a past life?" she asked angrily, staring up at the old man who was matching her gaze with one of disapproval.

"What were you… vagabond, perhaps? Oh, my mistake… that would be in this life." The man said tonelessly, striding towards the black-haired child. "Can I fetch you anything, Mokuba?" he asked, ignoring the shocked face of the girl he had just casually insulted.

"Uhm… no, I'm okay. Want anything, Ali? Ali? … Uh, Ali?"

Finally snapping out of her stupor, the blonde shook her head quickly before stopping and staring evilly up at the old man. "Wait…" she paused. "Actually I'll have some… Poland-springs-bottled-water-with-one-small-piece-of-sliced-avacado-in-the-glass-and-two-orange-straws." She said, panting lightly at having said so much so quickly, it had been her goal to defeat the butler, a petty goal perhaps, but a goal nonetheless. Unfortunately for the blonde Roswell simply nodded and exited the room, leaving Ali to believe he would either totally ignore her request… or somehow actually manage to find what she asked for, which would be an awkward situation seeing as she had no desire for foreign water and avocados whatsoever.

"So…" Mokuba started, yanking Ali from her self-absorbed thoughts. "What's your favorite subject?"

"The janitor's closet."

"What?"

"Nothing… abstinence is the way!" the blonde shouted dramatically, flailing her arms around in the air as she did so.

"Glad to see you have some morals." Roswell said sarcastically, as he re-entered the gigantic kitchen holding a tray. Much to Ali's surprise (and annoyance) atop the tray sat a tall crystal glass half-filled with water and a small piece of avocado floating in the water, topped by two tangerine orange straws. He set the glass in front of the Russian, barely smirking at his small victory.

"You expect me to believe that this is Poland Spring water?" Ali asked, attempting to turn the tables, yet failing miserably when the English man held up the half-empty bottle of the exact water she had requested, and proceeded to finish filling her glass. "You could have just poured it all in there to begin with… you didn't need to finish the job in front of me…" the girl grimaced.

"To the contrary, Miss Shvakova… I was hoping to see your face as you lost at your own petty game."

Ali mocked his words immaturely as he left the room. She turned back to Mokuba who was finishing up his math work, grinning widely at the exchange between his guest and the butler. The blonde couldn't help but smirk a little every time she saw the youngest Kaiba smile, it was something that could, no doubt, brighten anyone's day.

Sighing Ali rested her cheek on her hand and lazily closed her eyes, the scratch of Mokuba's pencil keeping a soft rhythm in her head as she relaxed. Before she could even register it, she was tapping her fingers, keeping a beat to the pencil's scratching, and light breathing coming from the raven-haired child across from her. After a few minutes, her imaginary orchestra came to a halt and she cracked her eyes open.

"What're you doing?" the youngest Kaiba asked, grey eyes studying her with curiosity, his pencil lying on the table.

"Just… listening." Ali answered, vaguely. "You done?"

The boy nodded, piling his things back together and standing to leave the kitchen, his face all the while beaming. "Let's go!"

After following Mokuba through several hallways, they came to an off-white door with a bronze knob, Mokuba opened the door eagerly and skipped inside, Ali stepped forward to follow, but stopped in her tracks as her eyes met with the room in front of her.

The floor was dark, shining oak and the walls were painted off-white to match the door. A few expensive electric guitars stood in stands in various corners, while two acoustics hung on the wall. Ali instantly recognized on as a rare twelve-string, that wasn't being manufactured any longer. Various different sized amplifiers were stacked in a corner near an acoustic bass. A brand new Pearl drum set sat near the back wall, it's silver colour shining proudly under the bright-yet-soft lighting.

However, Ali's already slack jaw nearly fell to the floor when they rested on the final corner of the room. A white parlor-grand piano took up the space, it's white exterior putting all other instruments to shame. Walking as though she was being pulled towards the instrument, Ali's brown eyes remained large until her fingers grazed the never-before-played-keys, carefully, not wanting to make a single sound lest the innocence of white piano be destroyed forever.

"He bought a fucking grand…" she mumbled barely loud enough for Mokuba to hear, but he did, and he grinned once again.

"Seto doesn't know much about music, but he said that piano looked nice." The boy said joining her next to the parlor-grand.

"This must be worth a quarter-million… _at least_." Ali breathed, still in awe of the beautiful thing. After a moment of silence, she turned to Mokuba. "I'm going to take it's virginity." She said everything on her face as serious as he had ever seen it.

"Uhm… okay."

The Russian girl sat carefully on the bench, her fingers softly grazing the keys before coaxing a few soft notes from the instrument, after a few moments the room was humming with a soft classical lullaby. Mokuba rested his elbows on the top on the piano and relaxed swaying his head in time with the soothing music. All of a sudden the tune changed from the gentle lullaby, and Ali's fingers smashed down on the keys heavily.

The sudden changed shocked Mokuba and he stepped back tripping over his feet and falling onto the floor. His groans were drowned out when the blonde began to sing loudly.

"_You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain,  
Too much love drives a man insane!  
You broke my will, but what a thrill…  
Goodness gracious, GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!"_ (2)

Her hands moved expertly across the keys which she hit quickly, breaking into a loud solo shaking her head dramatically in time with the music, while Mokuba watched her from the floor in utter confusion. Finally noticing the boys current situation Ali stopped playing and looked intently at him.

"Jerry Lee Lewis. Piano _legend_, what better way to break this baby in?" She asked motioning to the piano.

Mokuba stood up, rubbing his behind and walked to sit next to the girl on the piano bench. "Never heard that song, I always thought that piano music was… calmer." He admitted studying the keys as if wondering how such powerful sound had been released from them.

"Hell no!" Ali exclaimed. "I mean, sure… some sick freaks use pianos to bore people to death, but they're just as respectable of a rock 'n roll intrument as any other." She explained standing to wander about the room and admire the other instruments while Mokuba attempted to mimic the song she had been playing. She noted that he was shy, and planned on telling him later to put more soul in to it, but at the moment she was preoccupied by one of the guitars standing in the room. "I hate this place!" she exclaimed, causing the raven-haired boy to stop his playing and regard her with worry.

"What's wrong?"

Ali held up the guitar, the orange-ish glow reflecting in the light of the room. "A Les Paul? Why? Why, when I have spent my life _longing_ for one of these, can your brother just go out and get one because you woke up one day and decided you wanted to be a musician!?"

"Sorry…" Mokuba said slowly, guilt creeping it's way over his features in the form of a slight blush, instantly Ali felt that she should have thought her words over.

"Awe, Mokie… it's cool. But you better learn to rock this like no other, or I will be dead inside." She said in an attempt to comfort the child, only succeeding in making him look more worried. "Uhm… no pressure, though." She added hastily.

"Mokuba, your brother is home, and dinner's almost done." A warm female voice announced in to the room. "Well, this place turned out nicely. You must be Aldorina." A pleasantly plump woman, in her early thirties welcomed, holding her hand out to the blonde to took it and smiled lightly, glad that the woman wasn't another Roswell.

"Just Ali." She corrected, in a friendly voice.

"I'm Cindy." The woman introduced still smiling with enough warmth to melt a glacier. Her dark brown hair was swept off her round face in a tight bun, and she was wearing a white uniform that suggested she was maid of some sort.

A parlor-grand, a Les Paul, a butler and a maid.

Life was so unfair.

"Okay, we're coming." Mokuba smiled pulling the top of the piano down to cover the keys, after Cindy left. Ali, sadly, placed the guitar back on its stand and followed Mokuba out of the room, glancing at her watch. It was only five-thirty… she would still have about an hour to actually tutor Mokuba after dinner.

Wait, dinner?

"Maybe I should just stay in there." Ali said, stopping in the hall and motioning back towards the door. "And you guys can eat."

Mokuba shook his head. "No, I already told the cook that you would eat with us." He said firmly. The Russian girl frowned, the thought of sitting at a table with Seto, rather than spending time in a room which she would loosely define as Heaven, bored her.

Then again, Mokuba seemed like he would be slightly upset if she turned him down. So she nodded at the boy and continued to follow him, frowning still.

They entered, not the kitchen where Mokuba had completed his homework earlier, but the dining room, which was dimly lit, a large dining table stretched across the middle of the room. Ali noted that it looked like one you would have seen in a movie, but seeing as only Seto and Mokuba ate there every night, it seemed excessive, not mention empty.

The older Kaiba was already at the table, looking over a few papers as he waited for the food to be brought to beautifully decorated table.

"Hi Seto!" Mokuba grinned, greeting with his brother with a hug. The older boy's blue eyes tore away from his work which he promptly returned to the briefcase he had at hand and set next to his chair. After Mokuba had seated himself next to his brother, Ali placed herself in a chair across from the two.

Silence.

"So…" the blonde tried to think of a way to break the wordless curtain that separated her from the brothers. "What're we eating?"

"Glad you asked, Miss Ali." Roswell's voice answered, though he finally called her by a less formal name. "Tonight the cook has prepared grilled Asian steak with sweet slaw, and for dessert there is a white chocolate tiramisu trifle with spiced pears."

"Mmmm!" Mokuba exclaimed. "Ali, wait 'til you taste Shardi's cooking, he's really awesome."

The blonde stared from Mokuba, to Seto who regarded here with disinterest, then flicked her eyes back to Roswell. "Uhm… I'm sorry… _slaw_? Did you say slaw? What the hell is slaw?" Ali asked, repeating the word over-again as if saying it multiple times would make it sound less disgusting. The grey haired man only rolled his eyes and left the dining room.

Looking back at the brothers, Ali noticed that there was a less-than-subtle glare of annoyance being sent to her from Seto. Mokuba looked like he was about to burst out laughing.

"Guys… I'm serious. I really, really don't want… slaw."

That sent Mokuba over the edge, and much to her confusion and Seto's disapproval the raven-haired boy nearly fell off his chair in laughed. After about a minute of steady laughter, Cindy and Roswell brought in four plates and set one down in front of each person.

Even as the two boys began to eat Ali only stared down at her plate. "I'm not eating this." She said defiantly, she had never been a picky eater, and in fact did enjoy trying new foods, but the stubborn child in her didn't want to give in to Roswell, or Seto for that matter.

Her brown eyes met the blue ones that were giving her a terribly ferocious glare. "Eat the slaw." Seto said, the glare never leaving his face, and the threat never leaving his voice.

Ali's roaring laughter rang through the room, probably filling the entire mansion and she gripped her stomach desperately trying to avoid the pain that such crippling laughter caused her. Even minutes later the laughter had not one bit subsided.

And who could blame her?

Seto Kaiba had just said _slaw_.

* * *

(1) – Roswell was the cite of an extremely famous alien sighting! w00t!  
(2) – If you don't already know the song 'Great Balls of Fire' by Jerry Lewis… listen to it. It'll set the mood for this particular part of the story.

Okiidoo! Thanks for reading, and please guys… review!  
Updates could be much more frequent if I got more of them.


	4. Crwn Thy Frnicatr

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **4

**Title:** Crwn Thy Frnicatr

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**Note:** Just a special disclaimer for this chapter... I don't own Starbucks coffee, and I don't own BlackBerry. I did own _a_ BlackBerry for a while... but it annoyed me and met an unfortunate end on a rollercoaster. I also don't own the movie 'Black Snake Moan' but I do adore it. Watch it. Love it. Okiidoo!

* * *

Wet wind slapped unwelcoming at Ali's wrists as she leaned out the rather large window of one of the Kaiba's bathrooms. She was desperately trying to balance herself on the top of the toilet back, although occasionally slipping and grabbing the window pane for extra support. After being shunned through the rest of dinner, by Seto she had not wanted to dance on thin ice by smoking in his house.

And so, here she was; hiding in the washroom while Mokuba and his older brother waited for her back in the music room. Taking a final drag of her cigarette and making sure to blow all smoke out the open window, she butted it out, wrapped it in toilet paper and flushed it down the toilet. Sighing she forced the window closed, and toweled off her arms which had become the target for left-over raindrops falling from the roof.

She left the washroom, and counted the doors in the hall remembering her way back to the room. The sound of music grew louder as she got closer to the room, the door was left ajar and she peeked in before entering. Seto was seated on a white leather couch, that Ali didn't remember seeing before dinner. In the center of the room, Mokuba was playing a haunting melody on his violin for his brother, who watched with appreciation, but lack of real interest.

The blonde listened to the song, she had never been able to play violin, not that she had ever been particularly in the instrument, but she did enjoy a well played song on it. Her eyes met with Seto's as he noticed her, frowning in the usual disapproving manner she had grown used to. Clearing her throat Ali stepped in to the room flashing a grin at Mokuba who put down his violin.

"Did you like it?" he asked, interested in her opinion on his music, she nodded seating herself on the white piano bench. Sitting next to Seto just didn't seem like a wise maneuver after the dinner episode. The blonde's mind wandered as she remembered the tiramisu dessert. Shardi, the cook, hadn't made an appearance at dinner but Ali would have demanded he go home with her, had she seen the man.

"Yep!" The Russian said after a moment of reminiscing over the white chocolate wonder. "But I'm going to get you to focus on guitar for the next little while, 'kay?" she said, remembering that she was supposed to be helping the boy.

"Alright." Mokuba nodded setting his violin in its case which sat atop the parlor-grand piano, he made his way towards the Les Paul in the corner.

Ali shouted standing and darting between the raven-haired boy and the instrument he was approaching. "No, no, NO!" she exclaimed shaking her head and waving her hands. "You don't play this one until you pass my test. For now, just start there…" she explained motioning to the six-string acoustic hanging on the wall. Although confused, the boy nodded and made his way to the instrument.

"These are his instruments; I see no reason for you to withhold them from him." Seto voiced coldly from the couch, his eyes on her in an uncaring gaze. Angered by his contradiction of her, the blonde approached him, her eyes smoldering.

"Oh, right… I just forgot for a second that you're the expert." She said sarcastically. "By all means, pick up from here."

What the blonde didn't know, was that the young man currently opposite her hated, above all things, giving up control. His icy blue eyes meeting hers with equal dislike and anger, his thin lips drawn into a frown as he regarded her.

"You know, of course, that learning to play on an acoustic before playing an electric makes the transition much easier." Ali's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she continued to challenge the brunette. "Not to mention that a Les Paul is not a guitar to learn on, at all." She concluded staring Seto down.

The oldest Kaiba stood, drawing himself to his full height standing at 6"1, towering the blonde by at least six inches, she noted the mug of steaming coffee in his as he wordlessly loomed over her head.

"I'm not paying you to argue with me." He stated, as though he was bored with her.

"You're not paying me at all, moron. The nice check you wrote to Gillis didn't crawl in to my bank account. This is all volunteer work. And, believe me, if _he_," she nodded towards Mokuba who was standing nervously looking at the two older teens argue "… didn't have the possibility of being the next freaking prodigy of the worlds, I would not be here." She finished, trying to hold herself with the same commanding air as Seto currently gave off.

"Hn."

The brunette exited the room, giving no more acknowledgements to the Russian girl, who continued standing in the same place, shocked, not even turning to see him leave.

After several moments she turned her eyes back to Mokuba who was looking at the floor, clearly upset by the argument that had just taken place. Ali sighed loudly and stepped towards him.

"Well he's the screw up, Mokie. Your parents did a much better job on you." She stated matter-of-factly patting the young boy's raven hair in an attempt to comfort him, however her attempts were futile.

"He was just standing up for me; you didn't have to be so… so mean." Mokuba said, looking angrily up at the dark brown eyes that were now staring at him in confusion. "Seto never did anything to you." He grumbled seating himself on the white couch with the guitar and beginning to play a simple song from one of the beginner's books Ali had brought along.

Sighing again, the Russian teen pulled the twelve-string off the wall and sat on the floor a safe distance away from the hurt eleven-year-old, she played along as best as she could, although she had never been especially good at playing a twelve-string guitar.

The time dragged by slowly as the two sat in the white room, speaking only to each other when Ali offered advice, or Mokuba had a question. By the time the girl left the house, sitting in the seat of the driver's car to be taken home, she felt like she had made a huge mistake.

Not that she regretted saying what she did; after all… she had been right. Hadn't she?

Something in the young boy's eyes had made her feel so terribly wrong.

"I need a drink." she groaned, leaning her head on the window and staring at the passing houses.

--

The rest of the week had passed quickly, her visits (or, as she preferred to call them: sessions, seeing as there was nothing visit-like about them) to the Kaiba mansion were cold and moderately boring. She had taken to bringing her own dinner, to avoid any more arguments with Seto, who completely ignored her existence in his home. Aside from the occasional time when she would catch him watching Mokuba with pride as he played the guitar (which he had picked up quickly and was already playing past the beginner level), the brunette never entered the same room as her.

Mokuba, was civil towards her, however he didn't treat her like a friend, as he had when they first met. He regarded her as a teacher, nothing more. Ali had begun to dread going to the brother's house each afternoon for those three hours, one hour wasted watching the youngest Kaiba do his homework, and then eating leftover pizza alone in the music room.

Of course the weekend had always been her time to thrive, a time when she didn't need to worry about any responsibilities. A time she looked forward to spending with herself, or her friends, maybe even the occasional stranger.

Sadly for the girl, this Saturday would be less than relaxing.

"I hope she's home." Mokuba said as he and his older brother approached the door of apartment 12. Seto looked at his younger brother, it had been the young boy's idea to visit the blonde Saturday morning; saying that she might like to spend some time with them.

Mokuba knocked hesitantly on the door, it was the only sound heard in the building. Seto assumed that since most of the occupants were college students and it was a Saturday morning, the entire building was engulfed in slumber. After a moment of no response, Mokuba knocked again, louder.

"Maybe she isn't here." The raven-haired boy said, slightly put down. However moments later a shuffling was heard from behind the door, followed by the sound of something falling, and a loud curse being uttered.

"Looks like she is." Seto said, annoyed. He had hoped he could go about his half-day off doing something worth doing.

The door was pulled open slowly and Ali squinted her eyes, obviously having just woken. She was slouched, her hair in absolute chaos, wearing a huge white t-shirt and a pair of grey boxers.

"What—huh?" she said, stumbling over her words, and holding a hand over her eyes as if to shield the dim light of the hall.

"Hey Ali." Mokuba said looking at the girl in confusion. It was almost nine-thirty, he rarely slept past eight in the morning, even on a weekend.

The girl cringed slightly as she spoke, her eyes glassy and unfocused. "Why are you here?" she asked, mostly to Seto. The brunette only motioned towards his younger brother, however Ali's eyes did not follow the hint, they were fixed on the cup of Starbucks coffee he held.

Without a word, she reached out and took the cup, gulping from it, trying to keep the bitter liquid from touching her tongue. She turned and re-entered her apartment, leaving the brothers to follow. When they finally did they were greeted by more of a mess than they had seen the first time they had visited.

Instruments were strewn on the floor, along with empty pizza boxes, beer cans, and papers. The biggest change was the shirtless male that was sleeping heavily on the green couch, a drumstick in one hand which dangled off the couch. Ali sat on a pillow on the floor, holding a bottle of painkillers and drinking Seto's coffee, finally she spoke to the two.

"Why didn't you call, or something?" she asked, irritated.

"You didn't leave a number." Seto stated obviously.

"I don't have a phone." The blonde retorted, "Because if I did people would be calling me on Saturday mornings."

"Well I just thought that we could all do something." Mokuba said, trying to evade another argument. Ali's brown eyes focused on the boy, he wasn't treating her coldly as he had been all week, and although she was stubborn, she didn't want him to dislike her, or be angry with her anymore.

Grumbling she hoisted herself off the ground, stopping once she was up to press her hands against her temples. "I was out all night; my friend's band was playing at this bar…" she said "… I probably drank too much, seeing as Jordan is here." She explained motioning at the sleeping teen, and then stepping towards him and yanking the drumstick from his hand. Instantly he was awake, his blue eyes surveying the room as he pushed a few long strands of black hair out of his eyes.

Seto grimaced, he was extremely resentful of his young brother being in such an environment.

"Go home." Ali mumbled elbowing the boy, who she had called Jordan. He stared at her, then at Mokuba, who looked beyond confused, and rested on Seto.

"Why is he here?" Jordan asked, his deep voice cracking after waking. Obviously he recognized the brunette boy.

"Who knows." The blonde replied shortly, handing him a black t-shirt and pushing him off the couch. "Out."

"Alright, well are we on for next weekend?" he asked, referring to something that neither Seto nor Mokuba understood.

"What?" Ali asked as she walked him to the door. "Oh, right… uhm, I guess so. I'll talk to you later. Good luck with the band." And with that he was out the door, and it was closed. She turned back to face the brothers. "My head is bleeding from the inside." She whined.

"That's your problem, Mokuba wants you to entertain him, and I have to work in a few hours so are you coming or can we do something worth-while with our day?" Seto asked. Ali mentally noted that it was the most she had heard him speak in one go, and although she didn't want to, one look at Mokuba's pleading eyes had her grumbling and walking to the washroom to wash the night off of her.

Mokuba sat down on the green couch when he heard the shower turn on in the washroom, while Seto frowned and took a seat on the wooden chair which had been placed next to the coffee table.

"Hey look Seto." Mokuba said, pointing at the coffee table, which had been cleared of everything and a deck of cards was laid out in an orderly fashion, some face-up but most face down. "Duel Monsters."

Seto stared down at the cards; they weren't laid in the way they would be if a game had been in play. He watched as Mokuba gathered them into a deck and began looking through them, his face registering confusion.

"They're not very good, and they don't look like they work well with each other… I wonder if she's a duelist?" he asked looking to his older brother for answers. Seto was about to shrug it off when the apartment door opened, and a girl stepped in.

"Oh, hey!" she said smiling, her tangerine eyes looking at the two brothers. Seto remembered her being the girl who had let them in to Ali's apartment the last time they had showed up. "What're you guys doing here this early…? I didn't know Li-Li could socialize before noon." She giggled.

"She's in the shower." Mokuba offered, also recognizing Samara, who rolled her eyes.

"Classic Ali." She said shaking her head. "I just came to drop off her bills and stuff." She said, holding up the pile of opened mail in her hand. "If I didn't take care of that stuff, she'd never get around it, typical artist." Samara laughed, shaking her short navy out of her face.

"Really? You pay her bills?" Mokuba asked, surprised, and a little amused.

"Well, she gives me the money for it; I just make sure it all goes to the right place." The college student sat down next to Mokuba on the couch, twitching and pulling a drumstick out from under the cushion. "I really don't mind since I'm studying accounting. It's just practice." Her orange eyes wandered to the deck of cards in the young boy's hands. "Are those Ali's?"

Mokuba nodded, before setting the deck back on the table. "Does she duel?" he asked.

"Li-Li? Oh God, she would never be able to sit through an entire card game, no she does something else with those." She said casually leaning down to pick up a stray paper from the floor and looking it over. "Looks like she had a productive night."

"What's that?" the raven-haired boy asked, craning his neck in an attempt to see the words on the paper.

"Well, you know she's aiming to be a song writer." Samara said, but Mokuba's expression showed that he hadn't known that. "Well she is, and she's pretty decent, I mean… I'm no expert, but she does some commercial writing and that's how she pays for this place." The orange-eyed girl explained.

"Commercial writing?" Mokuba asked, not understanding.

"Oh, just simple stuff… she composes really simple music for commercials… most recently? She wrote the guitar chords for the song in that men's body wash commercial where the guy is in the shower."

"Cool!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"Yes, but don't talk to her about it… she hates it. I think she's ashamed, but who knows with that girl." Samara laughed. "So what are you guys doing here?" she asked turning to Seto.

"Letting Aldorina drag us around for a few hours." The brunette replied, his tone clearly implying that he wasn't especially excited over it.

"Oh, well that will be fun, she makes everything fun." The navy-haired girl said, smiling kindly.

"Yeah." Mokuba agreed, nodding his head. "She doesn't really get along with Seto, though." He added barely loud enough for the girl next to him to hear.

"Ah, don't take her too seriously. Her bark is worse than her bite, if you know what I mean." Samara said calmly.

"I want to bite someone." Ali's voice grumbled as she dragged herself back into the room, her hair was loose and slightly knotted in its wet state hanging down between her shoulder blades, she was wearing a black t-shirt with the words 'Black Snake Moan' written on it, it was smaller than her usual baggy shirts, but still fit her loosely. A pair of black jeans with rips in both jeans adorned her legs. "What's up Sam-I-Am?" she asked, using the playful nickname to distract from her severely hung-over state.

"Just dropping off all of your freshly-paid bills." The girl chimed. "And your check from that company came in." she added sifting through the letters and handing the check to Ali who looked at it quickly before setting it back on the table.

"Awesome, I get to eat this month." She joked stepping around Seto to look for something on one of the shelves in the room.

"Well I should go, and leave you guys to your fun." Samara excused, standing from the couch. "Oh! By the way Li-Li, your parents called for you last night when you were out. You should really get a phone so they can call you personally."

"But they _so_ enjoy talking to you." The blonde said irritated, slipping on a pair of trucker-sunglasses that she had been looking for, relaxing as she felt her headache calm.

The blue-haired girl just laughed waved to Mokuba, and then exited the apartment. Ali looked at her watch and groaned. "How can you even be alive this early?" she asked sitting on the floor leaning her back against the couch.

Neither of the boys answered her, and the silence was interrupted by the sound of a cell phone vibrating. Seto pulled a sleek BlackBerry from his coat pocket and answered it.

"Kaiba." He snapped into the phone.

There was a long moment of quiet, during which Ali grabbed her deck, shuffling it and then laying four cards in front of her on the table, face down.

"Just have the files faxed to my office, and I'll look them over when I come in." the brunette all but snarled at the person who had called before abruptly hanging up. "They can't run five minutes without me." He declared quietly.

"Oh poor you." Ali said with mock-sadness as she turned the first card to face her.

"What are you doing?" Mokuba asked, joining her on the floor and watching her intently. Seto, although still irritated by the blonde's comment, also looked towards the table, mildly curious as well.

The first card she had turned up was 'Cemetery Bomb' a fairly common magic card, nothing the boys hadn't seen before. Although when turning it up, Ali chuckled to herself before turning to Mokuba.

"I don't… really know what I'm doing. I've just always done it." She laughed, still greatly amused by the card. "Kinda like brushing your hair, I don't remember exactly when I started doing it, but now it just feels normal."

"You brush your hair?" the words were, surprisingly, Seto's as he smirked down at the blonde who dropped her jaw in mock shock.

"It speaks!" she exclaimed pretending to be surprised. "Anyway…" she turned back to the younger boy. "There are a lot of theories about Duel Monsters, because of its origins there are beliefs that the cards hold a certain… mystical-ness." She said pointing to the upturned card. "Cemetery Bomb, in the game when you play this your opponent looses a hundred attack points for every card in their graveyard."

"Right." Mokuba agreed nodding his head. "But what is it supposed to mean?"

"Well…" Ali started, her eyes darted quickly to Seto as though she knew what she was about to say would go over well with him. "I was asking why I felt so damn shitty this morning. My guess is, that the card is telling me that I'm loosing stamina for every drink I had last night…" she said smirking. Mokuba looked greatly impressed, while Seto looked at her like she a complete clown. "My cards have a sense of humor."

"Can I try?" the young boy asked excitedly.

"Sure." She said gathering her cards, not bothering to turn the other three up, and handing them to Mokuba to shuffle. "Now think of a number, lay out that many cards." She guided him watching as Mokuba placed six cards face down on the table. "Okay… now this is the tricky part, think of something you really want to know, and choose one card. Try to feel the card that's pulling you towards it." She explained, sounding unusually serious compared to her usual character.

Mokuba looked blank for a moment, thinking, before he reached out and turned up the third card from the right. All eyes were on the card, Ali looking at it with interest, Mokuba with curiosity, and Seto with a completely blank stare.

"Hm, 'Monster Reincarnation'? Weird… what did you want to know?" Ali asked holding the card to her face.

"I wanted to know what we could do today to make you have a really awesome day." Mokuba beamed. "So what does it mean?"

The blonde's eyes faded and for a moment she looked as though she would be sick, but as soon as it appeared it was gone and she was laughing nervously. "I'm not sure, Mokie." She admitted gathering the cards and standing. "It doesn't always make sense."

As the Russian teen walked past Seto to place the deck on one of the shelves behind him, he couldn't help but feel as though the card had made perfect sense and she was hiding something. But in order for that to be true, that would mean that there was some magical power to the cards, and he defiantly didn't believe that, either way… it didn't really matter to him if she was hiding something, she barely knew him and his brother why would she want them to know every detail of her life? He removed himself from the thoughts leading him in circles in time to see her sitting next to the door.

"Okay, let's get out there in the big… bright, noisy world!" Ali said faking enthusiasm as she pulled on the purple boots she always wore. She pushed the large sunglasses up the bridge of her freckled nose as she stood. Both boys moved to follow her, when she stared up at the older brother. "And we can drive this time… I don't want to walk, or move for that matter. I hope you brought your wallet, because you're buying me food." She stated, holding her stomach as she left the apartment.

* * *

**REVIEW!** I'm writing this for me… but I won't bother with this site if no one is reading.  
Blargamuffin!  
Kasumi.

PS. So I'm introducing a few other pieces of the plot in this chapter, any questions I'll answer.


	5. The Joy of Gunz

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **5

**Title:** The Joy of Gunz

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

* * *

"Why can't we just go somewhere normal?" Ali whined; her voice high-pitched and annoying causing several nearby people to send her irritated glances. "All I wanted was some damn pancakes!"

They were sitting on the outdoor patio of an extremely classy restaurant, after the blonde had demanded Seto buy her breakfast since he woke her up. They were, probably the youngest group there which didn't surprise Ali, most of their peers didn't have the money to splurge on pleasures like five-star restaurants.

"I know this diner, like five minutes away!" she continued, resting her throbbing head on the table, her sunglasses could only help to shield her eyes from the painful light of the sun that day.

"I'm not about to risk getting food poisoning at some dirty hole-in-the-wall, just so that you can feel more like you fit in." Seto stated plainly, hinting towards her tattered-casual clothes which made her stick out like a sore thumb.

If the girl hadn't been wearing sunglasses, Seto would have seen the glare she was sending him. Groaning she turned to Mokuba. "Have you ever even eaten a non-gourmet meal in your _life_?" she asked him.

The raven-haired boy only nodded slowly, recalling all the nights at the orphanage when they hadn't even had enough to fill their hunger. Seto had sworn that his brother would never be hungry another day in his life, long ago… and had succeeded in keeping that promise. But Mokuba didn't feel that this would make a cheery breakfast chat, so he changed the subject quickly.

"What are you having, Ali?"

The blonde grimaced staring down at her menu, trying to understand the fancy-restaurant lingo printed all over it. "I just want pan cakes!" she said dramatically. "But now I need to decide if I want 'Vanilla-Swirl', 'Coco-Chip', 'Berry-Infusion'…" she trailed off before groaning again, "Oh and they have 'Chocolate-Chip'! Well what's the difference between Coco and Chocolate? This is so stupid." She slammed the menu on to the table, a group of elderly women who sat at the table next to them, began to make loud remarks at the girl's behavior.

Ali stared at the women scowling and flipping up her middle finger in their direction. "What are you eating?" she asked Mokuba, immediately forgetting about the women she had been staring down.

"Scrambled eggs." The boy said looking towards his brother who looked like he would get up and walk away from the Russian girl any moment.

"I watched a chicken lay an egg once when I was little…" Ali said distractedly. "I don't eat eggs anymore." She concluded with a slight shudder. Her eyes also rested on the tall CEO who had rested his cheek in his hand and was staring down at the traffic, ignoring her.

Ali's fingers tapped on the glass top of the table for a few moments before she reached in to her black canvas bag yanking out her cigarettes and a lighter, lighting one of the things she leaned back in her chair.

"You can't smoke that here." Seto said, loosing his game of trying to make her disappear by pretending she wasn't there.

"Why not? We're outside, and there is an ash tray on the table… so I'm pretty sure it's alright." Ali mumbled, still smoking.

"It's not okay for you to smoke around Mokuba."

The blonde had whipped her sunglasses off before he even had a chance to finish saying his brother's name. Ali's brown eyes were slightly less bloodshot, now but they squinted in the light as she glared at the brunette, leaning in slightly closer to him.

"He's going to see people smoking his whole life. Don't ever use Mokuba as an excuse to make me listen to your damn rules." She growled lowly, Mokuba could hear the exchange, but eavesdroppers away from the table wouldn't have been able to decipher what was said.

The Russian leaned back into her seat, slipping her sunglasses back onto her face, even though they slid down her nose slightly on account of being too big for her face. "We're outside, so the whole second-hand smoke thing isn't a decent argument either." She added in a less hostile tone.

"Hello, are you all ready to order?" A young man in a waiter's outfit asked, standing next to the table.

"Are you eating eggs?" Ali asked Seto quickly, the brunette cocked an eyebrow, but shook his head nonetheless. "Then yeah, we're ready."

Mokuba asked for scrambled eggs, and Ali brush off the waiter saying to give her whatever Seto was having, not even bothering to listen to what she would be eating, as long as it wasn't eggs. Afterwards the three were left in silence, except for Seto typing on his BlackBerry to one of his employees.

"Does he always work like this?" the blonde asked Mokuba, butting out her cigarette in the glass ashtray.

"He works hard." Mokuba said simply, not wanting to give his brother the reputation of being a workaholic… even though he was.

"I see…" Ali mumbled. "So, anyway, I was thinking… you have been picking up on the guitar really easily, and it seems that there isn't an instrument you can't conquer. Do you ever make up your own music?" she asked, curiously.

The raven-haired boy shrugged. "Not really."

"Well I think you might be decent at it, if you gave it a shot." The Russian girl encouraged. She would have continued to talk the child up, but a small plate was placed in front of her along with a mug of black coffee.

She stared down at the plate. A mildly toasted bagel, with butter on it, nothing else. From behind her sunglasses Ali's eyes widened. She lifted the bagel off the plate, as if there might be something else under it, but to her disappointment… there wasn't.

"Uh… Is this what I ordered?" she asked the male waiter, who had just set Mokuba's eggs down and looked ready to leave.

"You, said you'd take what Mr. Kaiba was ordering." He explained, Ali noticed that he already knew the brunette. "Unless I made an error."

The blonde looked across the table, where Set sat looking at her in annoyance… as per usual. Sure enough, his meal (if it could even be called that) was a carbon copy of hers. "Are you serious?" she asked the older boy in shock.

"Serious about what?" he asked lifting the steaming mug to his lips, not bothering with sugar or cream.

"That's all we're eating… what the hell?"

"You demanded what I was having."

"This was before I knew you were suffering from anorexia!"

Seto rolled his eyes and sent the waiter a glance that permitted him to leave. Bowing his head the young man did so.

"You know, some of us can enjoy food that had not been fried and slathered in grease." The brunette said nonchalantly, taking a bite of the bagel.

"Most. Boring. Person. Ever." Ali stated ripping a piece of her own bagel off and popping it into her mouth. She noted, while chewing, that Seto's body didn't seem to have an extra pound lurking anywhere on it. His lithe figure was most likely the result of way too much coffee, and under eating, she concluded.

She however wasn't as lucky. Her body wasn't the envy of celebrities, with baby fat still present around her hips, and her short stature preventing her from ever being much thinner than she was. She knew she wasn't overweight, but wouldn't mind looking a little more feminine… her chest was medium sized, not small and hard like many women's, but once again… not the envy of the earth.

She couldn't have been more average, really.

Grumbling she snatched up the sugar bowl and began to heap the white crystals into her own coffee, followed by as much cream as the mug would allow, after stirring it all together she raised it to her mouth.

"Shit!" she exclaimed spitting the hot liquid out onto the ground and dramatically reaching for Mokuba's orange juice to cool down her mouth. Several angered eyes from other tables followed the blonde's actions.

Ali stared towards Seto, whose mug was half empty already. "I think I just got third-degree burns." She whined, her eyes revealed as her sunglasses fell from her face, she didn't bother with putting them back on, her head was gradually calming down.

The brunette slowly picked up her cup, not looking her in the eye as he did so. He sipped it casually before setting it back down in front of her. "Aside from the sickening amount of additives in it… it's fine."

"Well… if you like the freakishly hot coffee so much… why don't you marry it?"

Yes, it was childish. She was aware. But the way he was constantly undermining her had begun to get under her skin, and she didn't have a vast plethora of witty remarks to choose from on the spot.

Blue eyes rolled, and Seto returned to his breakfast.

Eating in silence it didn't take long for the three to finish and decide to leave the restaurant after Seto paid the bill.

"So, where should we go now?" Mokuba asked excitedly once the three of them were in back of the Kaiba's limo. Ali didn't one bit enjoy gallivanting around town in a limo, but she would have been even more unimpressed had she been sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Seto, so there were no complaints on her part.

"Well… I have to get to the bank at some point today and deposit that check…" Ali mumbled referring to the payment she had been sent for her commercial composing. "Other than that, I don't have any ideas. What do you guys do for fun?"

Mokuba and Seto sat across from her, and both looked at each other for a moment before turning back to the blonde. "We'll just stop by the bank first." Seto mumbled, for a moment Ali thought she say a hint of guilt flicker through his eyes, though if it was ever there it had disappeared before she could pick it out.

After paging the driver of the limousine, the car had pulled over and the three were getting out. Although Seto would have rather waited in the car, he himself had decided to check up on the stocks of his company since he hadn't yet that day.

"I'll just be a sec." Ali said skipping towards a teller; clearly she had finally come out of the hang-over. She pulled the check out of her bag and the brothers watched casually as she talked with the teller for a few moments.

Suddenly she whirled around, leaving the woman behind the desk looking confused; she approached the two boys, the check still in her hands. Her eyes looked furious, although worry shone through them.

"Does your phone have international calling?" she asked Seto once she had come close enough to be heard.

"Of course."

"Give it to me."

Seto hesitated, but took his phone out handing it to the blonde, who shoved her bag into his hands while she dialed a number on the phone, still standing next to the boys.

"Hi—dad?" she greeted shortly once there was an answer. "I'm at the bank, what the hell is going on?"

After a short moment her face reddened and she looked angrier. "No, I'm not talking to mom, I'm asking you what's going on!" she shouted. Calming herself down, she asked slowly: "Where did that money come from?"

There was a long silence and Seto could hear the faint sound of a man speaking on the other end, though he couldn't make out the words. Finally Ali spoke, though for the first time, her voice was weak sounding.

"How could you do this… they don't know that. Nobody knows." She said quietly. "That was Lance's money…"

Again the man was talking, but Ali's brown eyes showed that she wasn't hearing a word. She was staring blankly ahead, her face void of any emotion; finally her eyes met Seto's.

"Look, I have to go." She said curtly, ending the call before her father had a chance to respond. She handed the BlackBerry back to the brunette and stepped back from the brothers.

"Is everything alright?" Mokuba asked, concerned by the sudden change of character. The blonde nodded and cleared her throat staring down at the raven-haired boy.

"I have to get home, though… I have to do… a thing." She mumbled vaguely before turning and walking quickly from the building.

The two brothers stood in silence for a moment before the youngest spoke. "Do you think something happened?"

"I don't think it matters. Her problems are not ours to deal with." The brunette replied.

"Unless her problem is forgetting her purse with you." Mokuba said pointedly, motioning towards the bag which Seto still held in his hands. "We'll have to get it back to her…"

Although Seto would much rather have just given it to the bank to keep in 'Lost and Found' he nodded stepping towards the exit of the building. "Since we're in the area, I'm going to stop into work and pick up a few documents." The oldest brother said, figuring it would take her some time to get back home so he might as well take care of some work.

Of course what was to be a ten minute drop in, easily turned in to a seven hour work day, and when Seto finally looked up his brother had fallen asleep on the couch in his office and the clock read 8:30pm.

Finally pushing himself away from the desk he stepped towards his brother, who was sleeping quietly, Ali's black bag held against his chest. Swiftly Seto lifted the boy, carrying him through the door.

Unlike the brunette, Mokuba could sleep through almost anything. It was something that Seto secretly envied; he himself awoke at the lightest footstep, or change in room temperature. Once they reached the limo and Mokuba was lying safely on one of the seats, the brunette told the driver to first take him to Ali's apartment building.

For the duration of the ride he was thinking about the report he had to write up, seeing as his newest employees had failed to grasp the basic concept of what they had been asked to do. Once the driver stopped at their first destination, the brunette took the bag from Mokuba's sleeping body and stepped out of the car.

Climbing the stairs he was still running figures through his mind, not paying special attention to anything in particular. He reached the door, knocking softly.

Nothing.

He knocked again.

Silence.

Finally, seeing that the door was left unlocked he slipped inside the apartment, he had intended to simply leave the bag sitting on the coffee.

There wasn't much light in the small apartment, save from a small lamp that illuminated the living room giving it an orangey glow. In the center of the room (the coffee table had been pushed aside) Duel Monsters cards were thoughtfully placed in a circle, at least a full decks worth. In the center of the ring of cards a small picture frame was placed.

Unsure of what to do, the brunette just stood lingering in the door for a moment before Ali's soft voice sounded from the couch where she sat; in the dim light he could see her tangled hair, but not her face.

"Do you need something?" she mumbled, keeping her eyes away from his. Stepping forward Seto entered the room, placing her bag on the coffee table which was forced against the back wall. Turning to leave, he barley glanced at the girl, but when his foot knock against the picture frame he bent, lifting it from the floor.

It was an older picture, two young children playing outside… perhaps seven years of age, one young blonde boy and a blonde girl of the same age, though smaller. The girl was dangling upside-down from a tree branch, grinning, her brown eyes glinting with mischief, and the boy looked like he was begging her to come down with worried blue eyes.

Not thinking much of the picture he set it back on the floor, in her circle of cards. He was slightly bothered by the set-up; the brunette had never taken such ritualistic ideas seriously and was disappointed that Ali was not only wild, but genuinely crazy. "Just so you know I expect you to show up on Monday for Mokuba, and leave your melodrama behind." He stated coldly, his back to her.

"Seto." her voice was soft, and weak. He turned to see she was finally looking at him and he noticed a fresh scratch beneath her right eyed, not bleeding but swollen and pink. He disliked being called by his first name, especially when talking to someone he barely knew. She was silent for a moment before continuing. "There are some problems you can't throw money at." She stated.

"Oh, and I suppose you're dealing with something that no one can possibly understand. What's wrong this week—are you fighting with your parents? Perhaps your cards didn't tell you the future like you thought they would?" the brunette said icily. He had seen more pain in his life, which no rebellious teenager could relate to. No way.

In a moment the blonde was up, any trace of sadness that her face and body language had held turned in to anger. Seto was standing just inside the apartment, watching the girl storm towards him, reaching her hands up and grabbing the front of his black turtle neck she shoved him backwards.

She was stronger than she looked, or maybe it was just the fact that she had caught him off-guard. But either way, he tripped backwards, catching his fall by steadying himself on the hallway wall behind him, she had shoved him out of the apartment. His eyes met hers, both older teens sending a deadly glare towards the other.

"Fuck you." She seethed through clenched teeth, slamming the door in his face.

Shaking off his surprise at the sudden violent outburst, the brunette began walking down the hall when someone walking briskly up the stairs stepped in front of him.

The boy was a year or two older than Seto, with long fire red hair and crystal blue eyes, his skin was so pale it bordered on white, contrasting the back-length fiery strands. He stood a few inches shorter than the brunette but carried an air of confidence, even in his rushed and seemingly worried state.

The clear blue eyes assessed Seto as if sizing him up. "Did you just come from Ali's?" the boy asked; his voice deep yet caring. His eyes darted towards the blonde's apartment.

Seto nodded, and tried to step past the red head, unsuccessful what the boy stopped him. "Samara just called me, I'm still hazy on the details… so did they find the body?"

Seto looked back at her apartment door, confused as to what was going on. He shrugged.

"I'm Tailem." He stated warmly, taking Seto's hand in a firm grip.

"Kaiba."

"Oh, I've heard of you. So how is she?"

Seto still had no idea what Tailem was talking about, so he looked away and let the boy continue talking.

"I can't imagine how she must be reacting to this… I mean, they were twins. That's a bond regular folks can't understand, ya know?"

Suddenly Seto's eyes shone with realization.

The picture, that girl had been Ali, and the boy must have been her brother… her twin brother? On the phone she had said something about…

"Lance." Seto said, hoping the name would ring a bell with the boy.

"Yes, Lancifer, I spent a few months in America with Aldorina last year… her family never healed after he went missing. I just can't believe after all these years that they're saying he's dead… I don't think they even found the body." Tailem said sadly, Seto listened taking in all his words. "I should really go talk to her, though… she needs a close friend right now. Nice to meet you Kaiba." And with a polite nod, the red haired boy stepped past Seto and towards Ali's apartment.

Quickly, the brunette walked down the stairwell. As he walk he thought about how it would feel to lose his brother, and all the times he had come so close, he felt a sharp stab of guilt over the harsh words he had used on the blonde.

But as soon as the emotion had fabricated itself it was snuffed out.

He wasn't going to feel sorry for that whack-job.

* * *

Alright. Got a lot of stuff out there, still more holes to fill in, but things are getting started!  
REVIEW! I'm getting pretty annoyed by all the people I know are reading and not reviewing, it takes two seconds… do it and I'll love you forever!

**PS. I might not be able to update until Monday, I work all weekend and that usually exhausts me beyond ability to think, but since I'm taking my high school online, I get more time to devote to my writing. So if I don't get a chance to update, forgive. I'll do it as soon as I can.**


	6. Results May Vary

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **6

**Title:** Results May Vary

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

* * *

The sun was bright in the sky, and it was swelteringly hot, no clouds to give the world a slight peace from the sun's merciless glare. Seto stared at the road as he drove, his silver sports car's air conditioning was turned up to full blast and the cold air assaulted his bare arms, not that he minded. It wasn't often that the brunette would be caught in a t-shirt, but the weather today demanded it so he had worn a black t-shirt along with a pair of black dress pants.

The drive was silent; it was mid afternoon on Monday, only two days since discovering the small bit of Ali's life that had left him slightly more protective of his brother than usual. He was planning on working late tonight to avoid meeting with her, especially after such hostile parting words had been exchanged on Saturday.

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he turned his car down a road that had become extremely familiar to him, his weekly visit to the orphanage he had spent so much time in always occurred Monday afternoons when Mokuba was at school. His younger brother was aware that Seto donated generous amounts of money to the place, but had no idea how involved the brunette was with the actual orphanage.

He kept his visits a secret from the press, making sure not to look to conspicuous by taking his driver. Once he had parked the car the brunette exited walking around the back of the vehicle to open the trunk. He removed two large boxes of children's toys and proceeded towards the entrance.

"Oh, Mr. Kaiba!" a young woman exclaimed, smiling and taking on of the boxes so that the boy could see properly. "Nice to see you again!"

"Hello Ms. Jazaki." The brunette replied, his voice was emotionless, but he tried to smile at the lavender haired woman as he looked in to her dark purple eyes.

"You can just set that over here." She said to him, setting the box she carried in a small office and hinting that he do the same. Ms. Jazaki was one of the counselors at the orphanage, the children took a liking to her on her first day and ever since then she had been their favorite.

"Daniel is out back with some of the kids, you can go see him."

Seto nodded, turning to find Daniel, the man had once been a counselor when Seto and his brother had been staying at the place. Now, however he was in line to take over the orphanage when the current owner passed on. He knew Seto quite well, and the brunette had always respected the man.

Sliding open the back door he gazed out on the yard. Children played on the equipment that had been newly installed the year before, it was much more joyful a place than the one Seto had spent years in.

"Oi! Kaiba!" an older man waved from a group of much younger children he had been reading to. Contrary to his grey hair and elderly demeanor, it seemed that Daniel was eternally young, his hazel eyes were always smiling.

The brunette nodded, acknowledging the man, and waiting patiently for him to leave the group of kids. After a few moment the children all stood and darted to the playground, leaving Daniel free to approach the teen.

"How've you been?" he asked patting Seto between the shoulder blades.

"Busy."

"Ah, some things never change." The grey-haired man chuckled, shaking his head. "We've had a good week, one of our girls was adopted a few days ago and she's being picked up in about fifteen minutes."

"That's good."

Daniel nodded looking up at the cloudless sky for a moment before speaking again. "Have you given any thought to brining Mokuba in any time soon? I'd really like to see him again."

"I don't think he needs the memories." Seto stated. He didn't want to upset his brother by brining him back to the place he had hated so much, although… the years with Gozaburo had made the orphanage seem like a paradise.

"Well that's your choice; we're always here if the kid needs someone to talk to. And that applies to you too Seto, I know your life hasn't been easy and I'm always willing to listen."

The brunette nodded, he really had no intention of seeing his old counselor, he hadn't spoken much to the man during his childhood sessions and had no desire to do so now. "Is everything okay around here? Is there anything you need?"

"No, no. You have given so much, we're never in need these days." Daniel replied, smiling. "I just wish that all these kids could have a real home…" he added sadly glancing at the children playing.

Set remembered what it had been like in the orphanage, it wasn't the same as playing in a school yard… no, the children here were alone and although they played with each other, they all fell asleep at night wishing for a real home, a family and friend that they could play with who didn't have as many problems.

"Just as long as they're as happy as they can be in this environment."

Ms. Jazaki appeared behind him, a worried look on her face as she regarded the two men. "Daniel, Lana seems worried… Mr. Takao is here, and she's hesitant to leave with him…"

"Oh no…" the grey-haired man murmured following the young woman back into the building Seto trailed behind the two.

Once they got into the building to what Seto recognized as one of the lodgings for young female orphans, they paused at the door, hearing voices from inside the room.

"… What if he decides he doesn't like me?" a young girl asked, she sounded extremely scared.

"Hey… no one could talk to you and decide not to like you, Lana. You're a great kid and you're going to be happy."

Seto recognized the second voice, it was the first time he had heard it being used to comfort someone, rather than insult him. Peering in to the open door he saw Ali sitting on one of the twin sized beds with a young girl, maybe six years of age, with long auburn curls.

Ali had an arm around Lana's shoulder half embracing the child, the blonde's hair was tied in to a messy bun and she was wearing a knee-length white sundress over a pair of ripped blue jeans. The spaghetti straps if the dress showed of her shoulders, which were mildly sunburned.

"C'mon kiddo, this is the first day of the rest of your life." She encouraged smiling down at the small redhead who nodded standing from the bed. Ali followed, grabbing the girl's small white suitcase and handing it to Ms. Jazaki once they got to the doorway.

"Are you ready to leave, Lana?" the young woman asked kindly. The child nodded and turned back to Ali, a slight worry evident in her eyes. The blonde kneeled to that she was eye level with the girl.

"If you _ever_ feel like something isn't right, you call here and someone will help you. No questions asked." She said seriously, before pulling Lana into a hug. After a few moments the two separated and Ali stood to watch Ms. Jazaki and the red haired girl leave down the hall.

"You handled that beautifully, Aldorina." Daniel complimented.

She turned to face the man, but instead her eyes rested on Seto. The brown orbs narrowed in suspicion, but before she could speak the grey-haired man did.

"This is Mr. Kaiba. He's our biggest sponsor." He introduced. "Kaiba, this is Aldorina. She drops in on us from time-to-time to visit the kids." After a moment he glanced at his watch. "Oh my, I have a meeting with two potential adopters right now. Thank you both. Good day." He bowed slightly before leaving.

Ali looked the brunette over before speaking. "So, Mr. Hard-Cash puts some of his money to good use. I'm shocked." She said, challengingly.

Seto frowned; it seemed that the girl couldn't say two words to him without opening grounds for an argument. "What I do with my money is my business."

"Right, of course." She muttered rolling her eyes. "Far be it from me to try and figure out why the feared Seto Kaiba has a soft-spot for orphans."

The blonde turned to leave but stopped and met his eyes again. "Can I use your phone? I need to call a cab."

"I'll give you a ride I'm going through that area anyway." The brunette stated stepping around her towards the exit of the building. He really didn't want to spend any time alone with the blonde, but if Mokuba found out that he had been at the orphanage the child would have wanted to know why, perhaps even visit as well. So he needed the time to explain to Ali that his brother shouldn't be told about their meeting at the place, hopefully in a way that wouldn't cause her to ask questions.

"Uhm—okay."

Once the two teens got in the car and began to drive, the silence had taken over. The blonde reached down to turn on the radio, only to grumble under her breathe when Seto switched it back off moments later.

"Why do you hate music?"

"I don't, I just prefer not to have it in my car."

"Right… so…" she started, kicking her purple docs off and resting her socked feet up on the dashboard. Seto glanced at her in disapproval. "Why the orphanage? Why not send the cash to a third-world country or a widely known charity like mot famous people?" she asked leaning her head back.

"I prefer not to have the world analyze where my money goes."

"I see… can I smoke in here?"

"No."

After a few more moments of silence the brunette spoke again. "I'd prefer if Mokuba didn't hear about me being there."

Brown eyes studied him curiously. "Why not? I mean… if anything it'd make the kid respect you more."

"I'd just rather you didn't tell him."

Ali sighed and began tapping her finger on the window, leaving behind a series of finger prints. Again Seto was annoyed.

"Kinda cliché isn't it?" she wondered out loud. "I mean you and me both being there… if this was a story being written by a lame author this is the moment when we'd realize we were in love."

Seto stared at the girl for a moment before shaking his head. "Why you would even make such an observation is beyond me."

"Whatever. Hey can you stop at the police station for a minute?" she asked pointing to the building they were about to pass. Seto glanced at her suspiciously but pulled up anyway. "Thanks I'll be right back." She mumbled pulling her boot back on and stepping out.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, the brunette wondered if she was not only crazy… but a criminal.

Why hadn't she told him why she was visiting the orphanage? She had pestered him over his own reasons, yet had not stated her own.

True to her words, Ali exited the building moments later, holding a thin folder of papers, she opened the car door and slid back in, not bothering with her seatbelt… it was too hot to be restrained. Seto didn't really care, the police never pulled him over and he knew they wouldn't give him any tickets seeing as his tax money practically funded them.

"Are you being incarcerated?" he asked sarcastically, although it wouldn't have surprised him if that was the case.

"Oh hah hah. No, I just wanted to get some info on Japan's Missing Children Center." She said looking over a few of the papers in the folder.

Right, Seto remembered that her twin brother had gone missing. But didn't her parents live in America?

"I know you know about my brother. Tailem told me he talked to you." She mumbled, as if reading his mind.

"I don't know any more than that he has been missing since childhood." Seto stated as if pointing out that he hadn't been prying into her personal life.

"Yeah…" the blonde said sadly. "Now the police in America are telling us he was one of the victims of a serial murderer they just arrested. Apparently there were bodies buried in the man's yard… they didn't identify Lance as one of them, but they still seem to think that he... yeah."

"Do you think it's true?" the words surprised Seto as he spoke them, he didn't really care about her family life. Quickly he tried to make it sound less like he cared. "Aren't twins supposed to have a mind-link or something foolish like that?"

Ali looked saddened by his words and didn't answer instead she changed the subject. "My parents sent me his tuition money. They had a bank account for each of us that we could use for college when we turn 18… most of mine is gone now, since I blew it on a bunch of crap."

Seto remembered the day at the bank, that's when she must have discovered this.

"Anyway…" she continued. "I just don't feel right taking the money, so I'm donating it to the Missing Children's Center. I think that's the right thing to do…"

Seto was silent and continued to drive, surprised that the wild blonde seemed to have some morals. Ali didn't say anything else realizing that icy brunette obviously wasn't going to have a conversation with her, instead she sat back and let the cool air from the cars air conditioner run over her bare arms, it was a pleasant change from the muggy day outside.

Out of the corner of his blue eyes Seto watched the blonde as she closed her eyes and let her head lull back. She never wore any makeup, but it probably wouldn't have hurt her since today she had slight bags under her eyes. He guessed she hadn't been sleeping so well with all the commotion in her life. Her shoulders were hunch forward, unlike his perfect posture and he noted that light freckles dotted over her sunburned shoulders. She chewed on her dry lips subconsciously as she relaxed.

"I'm hungry." She stated after several minutes, and her eyes reopened. "Buy me lunch, rich boy."

"I need to get back to work."

"No you don't. Why do you even bother working? You could probably cruise through life, and still have enough money for your great-great- great-great- great-great- great-great- great-great-grandchildren to live more than comfortably." She said, irritated.

Seto shrugged, the thought of giving up the company he had worked so hard to get in the first place seemed utterly stupid to him. But he knew the girl wouldn't stop annoying him until he fed her, so he turned on to a street decorated with several restaurants.

"Sushi?" he asked coldly.

"What the fuck? Eww… no." Ali said in disgust propping herself up to look out the window. "How about pizza?"

"Whatever." Seto grimaced, he wasn't a big fan of Italian foods… but arguing seemed futile at this point.

Unfortunately for Seto the pizza joint that Ali had steered him to was nothing like the Italian food he was used to, in fact as he stared at the blonde eating he noted that the pizza barely resembled food at all.

There hadn't even been a place within the pizzeria to eat, and Ali had demanded sitting somewhere she could smoke, so they were seated at a picnic table outside. The brunette bit into an overly-salted breadstick grimacing as the over use of garlic assaulted his taste buds. Ali wiped her chin, where a small amount of grease had dribbled from her lips.

"So, Mr. Kaiba… are you enjoying your first taste of non-gourmet food?" she asked mockingly, earning her a glare from the blue-eyes boy. "You're such a brat." She stated meeting his glare.

"Well I won't be dying at 30 because of eating this all the time." Seto said waving a breadstick.

"No, you're right." The blonde smirked. "You'll be dying at 25 because of working non-stop. I mean honestly… do you ever just turn off your phone and take Mokie to the park?"

Her question bothered him, not only because of the nickname he himself had once used on his little brother, but because he hadn't done so in years. Attempting to change the subject he spoke, "Who did Lana get adopted by?"

"Meh… some doctor. I would never have been okay with such a young girl being adopted by a single man, but his wife died last year in a car accident." She said putting down her pizza slice and drinking from her soda. "Really sad story, she was pregnant with his daughter, so he lost them both… I met with him. He's a real sweetie."

"Sounds like she'll have a good home."

Ali frowned. "She better, if I find out she's being treated like anything less than a princess, I'll hunt the guy down and kill him myself." She said, her eyes glazing over with anger for a moment. "I mean know the orphanage has a great screening system, but sometimes I just worry that a kid might end up being taken home by some creep."

The brunette remembered his own stepfather. The man had been sick in so many ways…

"What about you? Why the soft spot for orphans? Is Mokie adopted? Because you guys are so different, I mean… he's so damn sweet and you're so… uhm, well… you know. Whoever raised that kid did a much better job than they did with you."

Seto stared at the blonde for a moment and frowned. She was too blunt for her own good. Obviously, the fact that he had raised his own brother didn't shine through. The truth was, Seto didn't want Mokuba to be anything like he was, he wanted his brother to experience all the happiness he had lost.

"Yes, Mokuba was adopted." He stated, a look of victory dawned on the blonde and she muttered an 'I knew it' which caused him to continue. "But we're genetically brothers."

Ali looked confused. "Wait—what?" she shook her head. "That makes no sense."

"We were both adopted. Our parents died when he was very young…"

Ali's confusion didn't go away, her nose crinkled up as she tried to understand the story before her lips parted in realization. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "So… you guys were orphans! Wow…" she returned to eating her pizza as she turned the thought over in her head.

Of course… that meant that Seto had been through hard times too, and hadn't had the luxurious childhood she always assumed he did. "Sorry." She said swallowing the last bite of her pizza and noticing that the brunette had only consumed half of a breadstick. His eyes here on her, slightly confused. "I just… I was kind of a bitch about saying you've always had everything, guess I was wrong." She shrugged casually.

Seto was surprised he had never thought of the girl as someone who could apologize, and yet she didn't seem to have a problem in admitting that she had been wrong. He nodded, grunting quietly.

"Hey, Mokie will be done with school in like an hour, so why don't you just take me to your place and save the time that picking me up with the kid takes?" she offered throwing her trash into a garbage nearby.

The brunette nodded, taking out his phone to call the driver and inform him of the change while Ali wandered back to his car, as she reached for the passenger door she turned to look at the brunette who was still on the phone.

She cocked her head to the side and muttered to herself, "An orphan…" she watched as the older teen threw away his trash and walked towards the car, and she tried to picture him as a lost child, not in control of even his own family… let alone a billion dollar company, she frowned.

It seemed to be the only thing she couldn't imagine.

* * *

Alrighty, a weekend of work and I managed to get this done. Hopefully you all liked it!

New deal! THREE reviews before I post my next update, this shouldn't be hard seeing as I am aware more that three people are reading. I will probably have another chapter ready on Tuesday... whiether or not it gets posted then is up to you all. Please, guys… review.

Wishful thinking--  
Kasum-acula.


	7. Woe Is Us

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **7

**Title:** Woe Is Us

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**NOTE: Hunnnnmmmmmpaarrrr-guh. Okay, well that was my attempt at spelling out a dramatic sigh. I am uploading the newest chapter because, well... I feel bad punishing the people who _did _review for the fact that I didn't get my three reviews. I guess I'm not going to be able to force all those people who have my story on alert and such to review, but I will say it's kind of offensive. I'm posting an entire chapter for you, and you can't even bother with a review. If I could spell out a sad-face, I would.**

* * *

"Son a BITCH!"

The yell ran through the Kaiba manor, reaching even the floor below where Seto Kaiba had been working on his computer for half-an-hour. Blue eyes glanced up from the computer screen they had been focusing on. Mokuba wasn't due home for another twenty minutes or so, and Ali had been using the music room for something or another. Her shout hadn't really fazed him, it was the loud crash that followed which caused him to stand and leave his study to walk upstairs.

As the brunette turned in to the room where Ali had been since they arrived his eyes could barley contain their amusement. The blonde girl was curled up on the floor next to the white piano, holding her head in pain, papers scattered around her and the twelve-string acoustic guitar in her lap. From what he could gather Seto decided that she had been playing the guitar atop the piano, and had fallen off of it, which would explain the crash.

It took a few moments before she registered the older Kaiba's presence in the room.

"Oh, you find this funny?" she hissed, noticing the slight smirk that graced his lips. When he didn't answer she muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'sadistic bastard'. Shakily she stood, one hand still cradling her head, the other holding the guitar by its neck. "You know I could have a damn concussion!" she grimaced, placing the guitar back in the piano before bending down to gather the scattered sheets of paper.

"How does one manage to fall off of a piano? Why were you even up there to begin with?" the brunette asked coyly leaning against the doorway.

"I just like it up there." She snapped standing to place the messy pile of papers atop the piano as well. "I was playing, and then I went to… move over, but apparently I was already sitting on the edge, and then BAM!" she exclaimed pointing at her head. "Luckily my freakin' skull absorbed the shock, so the guitar didn't break."

The white sundress she wore was wrinkled, and the ripped jeans only added to her scruffy presence. Slowly she approached the white leather couch and laid down on it, returning to cradling her head. "It… actually hurts." She murmured letting her eyes slip shut.

"Well whose fault is that?" the brunette mocked, though straightening up and moving to stand next to the younger girl. "Let me see." He motioned for her to sit up.

Brown eyes snapped open, staring suspiciously at the boy before she shook her head, grimacing in the pain it caused. "No, it's fine." She sat up, as if to prove her point.

Ignoring her words the brunette laid his hand on the back of her head to feel for a bump. The blonde gasped, throwing a hand down on Seto's leg to help her stand. "Don't touch me!" she exclaimed much louder than she had intended to. Clearing her throat she shook her head, a sharp pain piercing into her skull as she did so. "Sorry, I just… I said don't." she muttered looking at the floor quickly.

Seto frowned; in all honesty he hadn't meant to freak her out so much, however her ridiculous overreaction wasn't his problem. "Whatever."

The brunette stood to leave but Ali's voice stopped him. "Ugh, my head kills… don't suppose you have any painkillers around?" she tried, feeling slightly guilty about rejecting the only amount of concern he had yet shown for her.

"Hn."

The blonde took it as a yes and followed him out of the room and through a few different halls before he opened a door and stepped in, Ali followed at his heels.

The room was extremely clean, although dark. Navy drapes had been pulled, keeping the bright sun from the room, a computer desk sat in the corner of the room with several large stacks of paper neatly piled around the machine. What stopped Ali in her tracks was the bed.

It was massive, a four-poster cherry-wood frame held the huge mattress. Unlike most four poster beds she had seen, this one had no curtains of any sort hanging around it, the dark navy blankets on the bed matched the drapes. She sighed, suddenly hating her own old double bed, which didn't even have a frame. She pouted, she would have traded her mattress on the floor, for just one nights sleep in that gorgeous bed.

"Here." Seto said, he had just emerged from what she assumed was a washroom, connected to the bedroom. In his hand was a bottle of prescription-strength painkillers. Ali took the bottle reading the label; it was prescribed to 'Kaiba, Seto' she glanced back up at the blue-eyed boy.

"Are you sick?" she asked, it was unusual for someone to have pills this strength unless they had been in a horrible accident or something. The brunette shook his head.

"No, are you going to take them?" he asked, annoyance clear in his voice.

"Uh, sure." She mumbled. It wouldn't hurt her, they weren't too serious, nothing she couldn't handle. "But… I'll need something to drink."

Seto's eyes rolled, he strode across the room, opening a black mini-fridge and removing a bottle of water, returning to hand it to her. She popped one of the pills into her mouth and chased it down with a drink of water. "Is this your room?" she asked, handing the pill bottle back to the older teen.

He nodded taking the pills and turning back to his washroom to return the medicine to his cabinet. The blonde girl walked to the bed, climbing up and curling herself into the fetal position on the blankets.

"What are you doing?" his voice was mostly irritated, with a slight hint of amusement. The girl hadn't even heard him come up behind her.

"Wondering how many supermodels you've screwed on this bed." The blonde answered as if it was the most casual thing she had ever said, but the brunette had to refrain from letting jaw drop.

"That's really none of your concern." He said icily. "Get off my bed."

"Hm… I'm guessing between five and… eight." She said, sitting up and making a thoughtful face. "Well you don't seem like a guy who's in to porn stars… and no right-minded girl would actually _date_ you. So you must be getting your fix from models." She explained, a dangerous smirk etched over her face.

Seto only stared at the girl, he was beyond annoyed with her, especially considering she was partially right, he had, on more than one occasion, spent the night with a supermodel. He wasn't looking for love, and neither were the majority of the half-famous girls he had been with. It was easy, quick and the women were beautiful, of course he wasn't about to share this information with her.

"Off." He repeated firmly.

Ali complied standing from the bed and leaving the room, before sticking her head back in through the door.

"Uh… I have no idea where to go from here." She said slowly. The last thing she wanted to do that night was get lost in the Kaiba mansion.

The brunette rolled his eyes, exiting the room and closing the door, letting the blonde follow him through the halls until they were downstairs and Seto had reentered his study, Ali dancing in behind him.

Choosing to ignore her, the brunette seated himself back at his computer and continued typing the report he had been working on before. The Russian teen approached the bookshelves along the opposite wall.

Her nose crinkled as she looked over the spines of the books, there were books from every language she knew, and some she didn't, all of them encyclopedias or reference books of some sort… not a novel in sight.

Sighing loudly, Ali sat on one of the brown leather chairs in the room, turning herself so that her legs hung over one of the arms. "I'm bored."

"Go do something."

"Like what?"

Seto's blue eyes stared towards her, he didn't care what she did to cure her boredom, and frankly he just wanted to finish his work in peace. "I don't care."

Sighing again the blonde chewed on her chapped lips and stared around the room. "What're you doing?"

"Working."

"But what are you doing?"

"Get out of here."

"Fine!" she stood from the chair and stored out of the study leaving Seto to finally enjoy the peace and quiet.

After several minutes though the silence became unnerving. He couldn't hear the piano being played, or anything breaking, which as he had come to learn… meant that Ali was up to no good. Growling quietly the brunette rose from his desk, angered at having to stop and check on her yet again.

Seto found the Russian girl in the kitchen, perched atop on of the counters lying on her stomach. She was scribbling away on a pad of yellow legal paper and tapping her feet against the wall, listening closer he could hear her humming quietly.

"Miss me already?" Ali asked, looking up from whatever she was doing, her voice laced with sarcasm and her brown eyes sparkling in amusement.

"I was just making sure you weren't destroying anything." The brunette replied icily, making his way to the fridge to remove a bottle of water. As he did so he smelled the putrid scent of cigarette smoke, turning to look back at the blonde he noticed that she had a cigarette burning and was using one of his crystal wine glasses as an ash tray. "Do not smoke in my house." He stated stepping towards her.

"Alright, alright! Don't give yourself a freaking aneurism over it, geeze…" Ali said dramatically taking a last drag of her cigarette and butting it out in the glass, then she raised her hands as if to say 'there you go'.

The brunette lifted the glass from the counter and dropped it in to the garbage can; he wouldn't be drinking out of it again. Frowning he turned back to the blonde who was staring at him trying to muster her best innocent look… she didn't seem able to pull it off.

"What?" she asked as he studied her, a sly grin appearing on her face. "See something you like, Kaiba?"

"Yes, the sight of your mouth—closed. I was nice while it lasted."

Ali pouted dramatically, before returning to her writing. "My friends' band is playing tomorrow night, I was hoping I could take Mokie." She said. "You remember Jordan from Saturday? He's the bassist."

"No." Seto didn't even need to think it over, there was no way he was releasing his brother to the wildfire blonde and her creepy friends.

"Why?" she whined looking towards him and scooting to the edge of the counter so only her legs were hanging off. "I think it would be good and… as his teacher I know what is best!"

Blue eyes stared at her coldly, "What time would you be taking him?"

"Well, they go on stage at 10 tomorrow night."

"Where?"

"There's this quaint little bar a few blocks from my place." She answered, smirking at her use of the word 'quaint', it was far from quaint.

Seto raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Those would be the first two reasons I absolutely forbid it."

"And what are the other reasons?"

"You, and your friends." He stated turning and exiting the room, leaving the Russian girl to grumble and wait for Mokuba to finally return from school.

--

"No! Ugh… Mokuba you're a total drag!" Ali exclaimed, aggravated by the boy for the seven-millionth time that evening. "It needs _passion_!"

"Sorry, but I just can do this!" the boy replied, lowering his sad eyes and shaking his head. The blonde had been pushing to create an original composition on his guitar for an hour, but he simply couldn't manage to please her.

Sighing, the Russian placed her hand on the boy's fallen shoulder. "It's okay, you can do it… I'm probably just taking the wrong approach. Let's start try again, tell me what's going on in your head?"

"Nothing. I have no idea what I'm trying to do…" Mokuba said slowly, shifting the guitar in his lap he had eaten a lot at dinner and felt slightly bloated.

"Just think of something that means a lot to you, and transfer the passion you feel in to music." She explained, listening when the raven-haired child tried again. The chords were simple and mediocre as he played.

"That's worse!" Ali sighed trying desperately to think of what she could possibly do to help the boy when her eyes suddenly lit up and she yanked the guitar from his small hands, setting it on the floor. "I've got it!"

"What?" Mokuba looked confused at the blonde's sudden revelation.

"You need words." She said quickly walking quickly to the other end of the room where a stack of lined paper sat on a shelf. Returning with a few sheets and a pen she handed them to Mokuba. "Start writing." She stated tossing a pen in his direction and turning to exit the room.

"What am I supposed to write about?" he asked, his voice holding a whiny undertone.

"I dunno… whatever matters to you." She quipped stepping from the room and walking down the halls, counting doors so that she knew where to turn until she reached the stairs. She walked down to the first floor and opened the door that she knew led to Seto's study, he was sitting at his desk talking on the phone, his eyes narrowed when he spotted her but he continued on with the conversation.

"I want the blueprints finished by next week, no excuses." He demanded, irritated. His blue eyes watched the blonde as she opened one of the massive windows on the wall and hoisted herself up to sit on the window sill, lighting a cigarette.

The hot muggy air seeped into the room, battling with the crisp cool air created by the air conditioner. Ali was staring into the courtyard watching a large marble, dragon-shaped fountain spew water over itself into a shallow pool. Flowers dotted the yard and she noticed that the landscaping had been worked out beautifully.

"I specifically remember telling you not to smoke in my house." He said blandly after hanging the phone.

"You say a lot of things, but all I really here is blah-blah-work-blah-you suck-blah." Ali replied not bothering to look his way as she flicked her ashes out the window. "At least I have a window open and I'm not polluting your brother's tiny little lungs."

"And my lungs?"

"You don't really care about your own health seeing as all you do is drink coffee and avoid real food. So I'm not going to bother trying to keep you healthy." She said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Glaring at the side of her face, the brunette tried a different approach. "There is nothing less attractive on a woman than smoking."

"There is nothing less attractive on a man than being a workaholic-android."

It was clear that it wasn't a battle worth fighting, so Seto only rolled his eyes and turned to his computer screen typing something on the keyboard before he stood and left the room.

Ali sat in the quiet for a few moments, not really bothering to keep the smoke from her cigarette from blowing into the room. When the phone on Seto's desk rang, an evil grin settled on her face and she tossed the butt of the cancer-stick out the window, jumping down to lift the phone on its third ring.

"Kaiba residence, Seto's sex puppet speaking."

There was a long silence on the other end before anything else was said. _"Oh, er… hi. This is Yugi Motou, I'm calling to talk to Kaiba." _

"He's not _in me_ right now, he went out to buy new handcuffs, ours broke… kinky bastard." She said as though it was the most natural thing to say, though her face was contorted in an attempt not to laugh.

"_Oh… well when he gets back in… you… could you let him know tha--"_

The blonde cut him off when Seto reentered the room holding a mug of coffee. "Oh! Look at that that, he's back… here!" she yelled holding the phone out to the brunette, who noticed that her face looked like she had been caught doing something she wasn't suppose to be doing.

"Hello?" he greeted, though his face registered anger when he realized who was on the line. Ali watched as he talked on the phone, he didn't say much and when he did his answers were short. Finally he placed the phone back on its cradle.

"That your boyfriend?" she asked, knowing full well that it wasn't.

Seto glared at her. "Just a loser who thinks I might be interested in the new shipment of cards his grandfather's store just received."

"Right…" she said slowly, not sure what to make of the ridiculous situation, but lucky that she hadn't been caught for telling insane lies. "Well I should go back up to help Mokie. He's passionless too, you know. I guess you two are somewhat alike." She grinned, before twirling out of the room.

When the blonde returned to the music room she was greeted with what was possibly the most adorable sight she had ever seen. Mokuba was lying on the floor on his stomach, his feet sticking up behind him and kicking back and forth. The unruly raven hair fell into his eyes as he chewed absently on the pen in his hand, his free hand traced circled on the polished wood floor as he thought.

Ali giggled quietly, but was heard by the child who snapped out of his daze and looked up at her. "I wrote some stuff." He muttered pushing the paper towards her and moving to sit on his knees. She lifted the paper and read over it.

'…_I watched him get thrown at walls, I heard him cry at night until one day he just stopped. It was in the middle of the summer when my brother turned in to someone I didn't know anymore. He never smiled, he didn't laugh and he hasn't shed a tear ever since…'_

Ali's brown eyes narrowed as she read over the page, and looked down at Mokuba who was staring up at her nervously. She cleared her throat before speaking, "Is… what is this?"

"You said to write about something that mattered to me."

"Mokie… where is this coming from?" the blonde asked softly sitting down next to the boy and looking into his storm coloured eyes.

"It's just things I remember from when me and Seto were adopted." He said, Ali remembered that Seto had told her earlier about he and his brother being orphaned by their parents' deaths.

"Right, well that's good. I'll take this home and see if I can turn it in to something…" she offered tucking the sheet into her black bag. "I have to be getting home, though." She pulled the child into a warm embrace, the faint scent of gardenia drifting from his hair into her nose.

She stepped off the staircase and looked at the closed door of Seto's study, still confused by the words Mokuba had written. She didn't understand what he had been trying to say, but the little voice in the back of her mind was screaming that she shouldn't mention anything to the brunette.

Sighing lightly she stepped into her purple boots and opened the front door where Frederic, the driver was waiting patiently in the car out front. The warm evening air caressed her bare arms and she stared out into the sky.

"I guess it doesn't take a kidnapping or a death to lose someone…" she murmured before opening the car door and falling exhaustedly on to the seat.

The over dramatic life of the Kaiba brothers was beginning to wear her down.

* * *

R&R

KC.


	8. Running on Pointe

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **8

**Title:** Running on Pointe

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**NOTE: Thanks to all the reviewers! You guys are the best! Sorry for the wait, I had a bit of a writer's block, but after lots of shopping and a day of redecorating I'm feeling better. I don't think this chapter is very good and it will probably be rewritten one day, but for now it'll do.**

* * *

Ali stood outside her apartment building waiting impatiently for Mokuba's driver to pull up in front of her. Although… she had no intention whatsoever of going to the Kaiba manor that night, Seto may have forbidden her to take his brother to her friends' performance, but the girl had been around Seto enough to know that he would get caught up in work and not even notice Mokuba's missing presence.

Finally the black English-style car rounded a corner and soon stopped at the curb directly in front of the blonde. Rather than join the raven-haired child in the back seat as she usually would Ali opened the passenger door.

"Hey there Freddy." She greeted Frederic who grinned at her. After driving her home nearly every night for the past two weeks they had become friendly, especially since he was the only of Seto's employees who didn't mind joking around with her.

"How's it going Ali?" he asked her.

"Great, I think I'll take Mokuba upstairs for tonight's lesson, cool?" she asked hopefully. The middle-aged man looked skeptical.

"Well… is Mr. Kaiba okay with this plan?" he wondered tentatively.

"It's fine, Mokuba's been here before." She explained, leaving out the fact that he had only been to her apartment in his brother's company.

"Then… I suppose." he agreed slowly, Ali thanked him by wrapped her arms around the man's neck and hopping out of the car, opening the back door to usher Mokuba out.

"What?" the boy questioned as he stepped onto the sidewalk and the car drove away down the street.

"It's okay, Mokie we're going to have tons of fun tonight!" the Russian girl promised taking his hand and pulling him into the building.

"Does my brother know that I'm coming here tonight?" the child asked as they ascended the stairs to her room. "He'll be worried if I'm not home."

"Don't worry, Frederic will let Seto know that you're here and it'll be fine." The blonde assured Mokuba as she opened the door to her apartment.

The space had been tidied up, slightly. There were no longer pizza boxes and beer bottles scattered about, and the coffee table was slightly in order, though messy stacks of paper still sat atop it. Her deck of cards had been placed on one of the corners of the table, and Mokuba immediately set down his school bag and reached for the deck.

"I tried to use my own cards like you do, but I didn't understand it." He said looking at the Russian girl with questioning eyes.

"My cards are special." She started sitting on the couch lifting a few papers and ruffling through them, looking for something. "I found them all, individually… if you look around the city you'll notice that a lot of cards get dropped and left behind. Every card in that deck turned up somewhere when I didn't expect it, so I guess in a way they came to me."

"Cool…"

"Here it is." Ali muttered setting all but one sheet of paper back on the table. "Mokuba, after I came home last night I read this over and over." She handed the paper to Mokuba who looked down.

"Oh…" the young boy recognized it as the sheet he had written about his brother. "I probably shouldn't have written this, but it felt good to get some of it out." He muttered avoiding Ali's gaze.

"Hey…" she said softly placing a finger under his chin and lifting it to meet his grey eyes. "The things you wrote about were really serious, it makes sense that you might want to talk to someone about it."

There was a silence and Mokuba nodded.

"So start talking." The blonde demanded, suddenly sounding extremely pushy.

"Well… I… uhm…" the boy stuttered before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, "Seto and I were sent to an orphanage when our parents died." He started, shifting to get more comfortable on the old green couch. "We stayed there for, well a long time. And then Gozaburo Kaiba adopted us… thanks to Seto." He added the last part quietly.

"Alright, so this stuff happened at the orphanage?"

Mokuba shook his head. "No… things got really bad after we were adopted. Gozaburo didn't want us, he mostly ignored me. But he was really hard on Seto. He worked Seto so hard, and when he messed up anything he was punished."

Ali's brown eyes lowered, she remembered talking to the older Kaiba yesterday about how worried she was that an adopted child could end up in the home of some creep. Now, to learn that he, himself had been so unlucky gave her a guilty feeling that she worked to suppress.

"So, this… Gozaburo guy… he was abusive?" she asked, although she already knew the answer if Mokuba's writing had been any indication.

He nodded, "It started with little things, like more school work and taking away Seto's toys. But then he would start hitting Seto, and I think it broke my brother a lot, because I would hear him crying at night, he tried to hide how sad he was when he was around me, but I could see it."

"Right." Ali nodded understanding.

"Then one day he just stopped crying, and Gozaburo left him alone. I didn't see them talking much anymore and Seto turned into the person he is now. I don't understand…" tears were welling up in the child's eyes.

Ali was unsure of how to react to the child's sadness so she simply pulled him into an embrace, stroking his hair gently, wondering how he had managed to become such a loving child after witnessing so much.

"Alright, that's enough sad crap for one day." The blonde decided jerking back from the boy. "Let's get you on that guitar." She stood to lift her acoustic guitar from its stand and handed it to Mokuba before curling up on the opposite end of the couch from where he was sitting on. "Play something… Spanish." She instructed closing her eyes when he began to play a soft romantic tune. After a few minutes her head had fallen to her shoulder and she was breathing slowly, dead to the world.

--

"Aldorina… Ali…" a soft male voice spoke to the blonde shaking her shoulders gently. Brown eyes flickered open to meet with the crystal-clear blue ones smiling at her. "Ali, why do you have an eleven-year-old boy in your apartment?"

"Tailem!" the Russian exclaimed jolting up from her curled up position, groaning and steadying herself by grasping his shoulder, she had moved too quickly. Once she recovered her eyes flicked to Mokuba who was standing behind the red-haired man smirking.

"I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't budge." The boy sighed noticing that Ali was staring at him.

"What time is it?" she murmured pulling herself off the couch to stand.

"It's nine-thirty; I told you I was picking you up at nine-thirty. Of course, your wall-clock says it's five…" Tailem replied looking greatly amused.

Ali's eyes widened. "I've been out for… _five hours_! Mokie what did you do?" she asked quickly rushing to the young boy and feeling his forehead, before beginning to inspect him for some sort of injury that he might have sustained while she was asleep.

"It's okay, I lost track of time too." He said smiling at her, before frowning. "But I really have to go home now, Seto will be worried."

"No!" the blonde exclaimed, maybe too quickly. "I kept you here because I wanted to take you somewhere special tonight!"

"Ali, you can't take him to the show…" the twenty-one year old sighed. "It's a bar, they won't let him in. Also, you shouldn't be taking children to bars."

Ali turned to study Tailem's face, his blue eyes were laced with concern, but his lips were slightly upturned, it was rare that he wasn't smiling kindly. He wore a fitted black trench coat over a pair of black leather pants and sleeveless black turtle-neck. His fiery hair which fell over his shoulders to his mid-back wasn't unlike Mokuba's; in fact they both had unruly strands insisting on sticking out in random places.

"Hey, we'll just say we're with the band. They'll let him in then, oui?" she smirked at the older man using a slight French accent with the last word of the sentence.

"I suppose so, who is he anyway?" Tailem's friendly blue eyes looked towards Mokuba.

"Mokuba Kaiba." The child smiled, taking an instant liking to the gentle natured redhead.

As soon as Mokuba introduced himself Tailem's face shot back to Ali sending very clear 'are you crazy?!' vibes in her direction.

"You're not talking me out of this." She stated meeting his eyes.

"Ne comptez pas sur moi." The red haired man responded, speaking in his first language so that Mokuba wouldn't get his feelings hurt. (1)

"Pourquoi pas?!" the girl yelled back, frowning in annoyance. (2)

"C'est totalement absurde." Tailem drawled rolling his eyes. (3)

The blonde was about to open her mouth to reply when Mokuba chimed in. "Vous parlez francais?" his lips were turned up into a smirk that too much reflected his older brother's. (4)

"Damnit." Ali muttered looking back to the boy. "Where did you pick up French?"

"Seto told me I had to learn a second language, and I picked French." He shrugged looking to Tailem. "I won't be a problem…" he offered, his stormy eyes begging for acceptance.

"I'm not worried about you being a problem, kid." The redhead explained softly. "It's just that you're Seto Kaiba's brother and we can't risk letting anything happen to you."

"Nothing will happen!" Ali whined gripping on to the twenty-one year old's arm and whirling him around to face her. Once he was looking at her she reached an arm over his neck toying with his flaming red hair gently, she pushed her face closer to his until it was millimeters away, a mischievous look in her chocolate eyes. "Please?"

The blonde knew all too well that her breath was tickling her friend's lips in a way that no testosterone-driven person could resist. As planned, Tailem pulled away from her sighing and shaking his head in defeat.

"I'll be in the car, try to hurry or we'll be late." He muttered running a hand through his hair and leaving the apartment.

Ali pumped her fist in the air and Mokuba giggled. "Nice one." He encouraged.

"Thanks, I'm just going to go change and…" she trailed off noticing the child was still wearing his school uniform, in the back of her mind a small voice told her that she still had some of Lancifer's casual clothes packed away that would fit Mokuba. She shook the though from her head. "Take off your jacket and tie, you'll look more casual." She instructed before disappearing into her bedroom to find herself something to wear.

A few minutes later she emerged from her room wearing a pair of grass-stained white denim pants and a black t-shirt with the word 'Chocoholic' in brown block letters. She stepped into her purple boots, not bothering with the laces and motioned for Mokuba to follow her out the door. "Make sure you bring your school bag, we'll drop you off after." She said over her shoulder causing the raven-haired boy to run back inside and gather his things.

"You made it." Tailem said as the two climbed into the back seat of his car, Ali would have sat in the passenger seat up front if not for the amplifier currently occupying the seat.

"Yep." She quipped as he started to drive, she yanked a hair elastic from her wrist and tied her hair into a messy ponytail, ignoring the few tendrils that escaped the elastic. "So Mokie, you ever been to a show before?" she asked once she had finished with her task.

Mokuba shook his head, "No… I've been to the opera though."

The Russian teen's face scrunched up "Ick, why would you do that?"

"I used to have a babysitter who liked the opera, she took me once."

"Oh, cool." Ali said turning to look out the window once Tailem had pushed a CD into the stereo.

The ride didn't last long, and they soon stopped under a red neon sign that read 'Mad Hatter's Bar & Club'. Ali and Mokuba hopped out and entered the building leaving Tailem to find a parking space, the bar was unusually full that night due to the reputation the band had developed within the community.

"I'm sorry, we can't allow him in, and I will need to see an ID miss." One of the bouncers at the door said firmly, blocking their path.

"No, he's with me, and I'm on the list." She replied, remaining unfazed by the size of the man. "I'm Aldorina Shvakova."

The buff man scanned over a paper in his hand and nodded, allowing them to enter but not before warning them. "We will have security check up on you ever twenty minutes to make sure that neither you or the child is drinking."

"That's fine, we're just here for the show."

And with that, the blonde led Mokuba into the bar. The smell of cigarette smoke immediately filled the boy's nostrils causing him to cough lightly and grip the blonde's hand tighter. She said something to him, but he couldn't hear over the loud chatter.

"They're going on in a few minutes. Let's get closer to the stage." She yelled into his ear before dragging him to the opposite end of the bar where many people had already gathered. She hopped up on a bar stool and pulled Mokuba up as well to sit on her lap. "Sorry." She said into his ear. "But I'm letting go of you in here."

The eleven-year-old nodded in understanding. He felt safer, anyway, being held onto rather than left on his own in the mob of drunken strangers. After several minutes of sitting next to the bar, the curtain finally pulled to reveal four boys, including the black-boy, Jordan, who Mokuba had met at Ali's apartment the weekend before, he was holding a bass, and once again lacking a shirt.

Tailem was also on the stage seated behind the drum set, he had removed his trench coat leaving his bare arms exposed. Mokuba noticed that he had a tattoo of a winged serpent winding up his left arm it almost looked like a dragon, yet not quite.

The other two boys were attractive blonde males of the same age, who were grinning widely and winking at random girls in the crowd. One of them sent Ali a thumbs-up before approaching the mic. The room quieted a bit to better hear the man in stage.

"This first song was written by our good friend Alina."

Mokuba figured it was yet another of the seemingly endless nicknames Ali's friends used on her, the boy at the mic stepped back strumming a chord on his guitar before beginning to sing harshly. The song was quick-tempo and heavy, and the singer's unique slur distorted the lyrics quite a bit, but Mokuba still smiled widely, it may not have been his type of music- but it sure was cool!

It was half was through the second song when Seto Kaiba's car pulled up in front of the bar, hi stepped out of the driver's seat and slammed the door behind him. He had been to every bar in the area in the past two-hours, knowing full well that Ali had ignored his objection to Mokuba being taken out to a bar that night.

His eyes darted angrily to the 'Mad Hatter's' sign and he stepped towards the entrance.

"I'm sorry sir but you can't--" the bouncer stopped talking when he recognized the teen's face. "Oh, Mr. Kaiba, my apologies. Go ahead." He moved from the brunette's path to let him in.

Quickly Seto entered the building grimacing at the foul smell of burning tobacco, pushing a few drunk people out of his way and following the sound of music to the opposite end of the bar weaving between people. His height gave him an advantage as he scanned through the crowd silently begging that his brother be one of the faces he saw.

Seated on a bar stool he spotted Ali, Mokuba sat in her lap, and she had one arm around his stomach. His brother watched the boys on stage with admiration, Ali however looked somewhat bored. Her eyes were on the ceiling, her head tilted backwards to give her a better view above her. She was holding a cigarette with the hand that wasn't gripping Mokuba, consciously keeping the glowing tip away from the wild strands of the child's hair.

Anger flared inside Seto with such intensity he had to fight the urge to vomit. Not only had she ignored his rules, but she had _kidnapped_ his brother and taken him to a place where anything could happen! The blue-eyed teen stepped forward shoving another man out of his way, the man turned to yell at Seto for being to rude, but after noticing the fact that the teen had about a foot on him, and a look of sheer hatred in his eyes, the man only slunk back.

In moments he was in front of his brother yanking him down from the stool and out of Ali's grasp. Without a word he proceeded to take Mokuba out of the bar ignoring the yells from the blonde who sprinted after him.

Once they were outside where the air was fresher and the sounds of the bar faded behind the door he set Mokuba in the passenger seat of his silver sports car closing the door and turning to the panting blonde who had just caught up with him.

"What the fuck it wrong with you?!" she exclaimed bending down and placing her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

"Do not ever come near me or my brother again." Seto spat, his blue eyes looking as though they would shoot daggers.

"What did I do?" she whined.

"You _kidnapped_ Mokuba, you completely disregarded my orders. I could have you thrown in jail. Stay away from him and you can go on with your pathetic life."

Ali straightened up, meeting his glare. "You can't hold him back forever."

"I'm protecting him, it's my job."

Ali shook her head. "And when he grows up, Seto? What then? When he leaves you behind because he realizes how much he missed out on because of you?" she looked at him as though she would hit him any moment.

Seto looked at her so coldly that Ali shivered lightly; of course she would never let him know she was scared. "You're going to lose him if you don't give him a normal life." She warned.

"At least _my_ brother won't end up in a body-bag buried in some pervert's back yard."

Seto didn't need a conscience to tell him that he should never have said that, Ali's face told him the second the words left his mouth. Her brown eyes looked so hurt, that for a moment he swore that she would just shatter into a million pieces of what once was a free-spirited teen. Not that he would have minded such a thing happening to her, at the moment.

But, as soon as he saw the hurt flicker into her eyes it was gone and replaced with anger ten-times more intense than the sadness had been. She stepped towards him reaching both hands up and grabbing two fistfuls of his chestnut hair and yanking him down, eyelevel with her.

He heard a deep, growling sound in the back of her throat as she pulled his face closer to his own, he was still so shocked that he hadn't been able to register movement, otherwise he would have pulled away from her. The growling faded and their noses were almost touching, suddenly she pulled back and spit onto the CEO's face, letting go of his hair and whirling away from him.

Even in his state of angered shock Seto managed to hear the hoarse 'go to hell' that Ali uttered as she turned back into the bar.

--

(1) - "Count me out."

(2) - "Why not?!"

(3) - "That's completely crazy."

(4) - "You speak French?"

* * *

TBC

KC.


	9. Batten the Hatches

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **9

**Title:** Batten the Hatches

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**Note: **Special disclaimer for this chapter- I don't own the song 'Smoke on the Water', Deep Purple owns that. I don't own the movie Snakes on a Plane. In fact, I think it's a completely lame movie! Have you ever noticed that no one gets bitten on the ankles or any normal place where a snake would bit? _No_, because it is _much_ more interesting to watch snakes fly through the air and bite people's _nipples_. Oh Hollywood… why have you failed us so?

* * *

Tailem stood outside Ali's apartment door, frowning and contemplating whether to knock or just step in. She hadn't left her apartment at all yesterday, and he assumed it had something to do with the past Tuesday evening. She hadn't mentioned what had happened after she chased Kaiba and Mokuba out of the bar, but she had returned to the show looking terrible, only long enough to say goodbye and return home. His blue eyes gazed down at the small box and few envelopes he held.

Frowning the redhead raised his hand to the door knob, she rarely bothered with knocking when she visited him, so it wouldn't matter. He stepped inside; the knee-high black boots he wore stepped on a loose floor causing it to creak lightly. At first glance the apartment looked like a mess, but anyone who knew the Russian teen knew that it was cleaner than usual. Ali wasn't in the living room, so he stepped into the kitchen, he was greeted by a few boxes of Chinese takeout, but no free-spirited blondes.

His blue eyes moved to rest on her bedroom door, and as he moved towards it he could here a soft song being played on her acoustic guitar. Opening the door without knocking, he poked his head into the room.

Ali sat in the middle of her unmade bed, she was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of white underwear, her legs were crossed and the guitar in her lap. Her brown eyes gazed up at him, but her dry lips didn't make a sound as she continued to play.

Tailem joined her on the bed, seating himself next to the girl and placing a hand on her shoulder in sympathy. He didn't know what was wrong with her at the moment, but after years of being her friend, even when she wasn't staying in Japan, there was less of a need for words.

Aldorina had been travelling from America to Japan for years, since she was old enough to buy herself a plane ticket. He had met her when she was sixteen and he was nineteen, during the first time she took off to Japan. It had always entertained him how most teens would spend the night at a friend's house to rebel. Ali had travelled over an ocean to get away. Since then he had been to America twice, and when she was on the other continent they would write or call… they were each other's lifelines.

Setting her guitar down the blonde rested her head on the twenty-one year old's shoulder as he tried to untangle the knotted mess on top of her head.

"Seto is a fucking ass." She murmured, letting her eyes flutter shut.

"You can't blame him for worrying, Ali."

"No, but you should have heard him!" her eyes snapped back open and she stared into the clear-blue pools that were Tailem's eyes. "He basically said it was my family's fault that Lance got…" she trailed off, partially because she didn't need to explain it since he already knew the details, partially because she didn't know whether to finish the sentence with 'kidnapped' or 'murdered' a part of her still chose to believe her twin was alive.

"He was scared Ali, and he doesn't understand what you've been through." The redhead sighed, sometimes Ali's immaturity made him wonder how she could have been on her own for so many years. The blonde pushed him away, her eyes filled with annoyance.

"So you're taking his side now?!"

"I'm not taking sides; I'm just making sure that you understand. He barely knows you I doubt he understands what he was saying and how it would affect you."

"Bullshit!" the Russian screeched. "You don't get to be where he is without being able to read people! He knew _exactly_ what he was saying!"

Tailem rolled his eyes, deciding to end the argument and change the subject. "Are you still tutoring the kid?"

Her brown eyes lowered to the ground as she shook her head. "No, he told not to go near Mokie again, and the car never came yesterday. So… I think he was serious."

The redhead nodded and glanced at his watch. "It's almost noon. Are you hungry?"

Ali shook her head. "I already ate."

Tailem wished that she would at least leave her apartment and do something, but it seemed that she was too down to do much at all, so instead he only handed her the small box and envelopes. "Samara is out of town for the week so I brought you your mail, she had a feeling you'd forget to do it yourself." He smirked.

"Oh, thanks." She said offering a small smile to her friend. She held the box in her hand, it was surprisingly light.

"I'll get out of your apartment now; drop by if you need me." He said gently kissing her on the forehead before getting up from the bed and leaving the room.

Ali waited for a few moments until she heard the front door shut, then she turned the small box over in her hands. She was shocked to see that the return address was that of the main Kaiba Corp. building. She checked the date to find that it had only been sent that morning.

Ignoring her first instinct to toss it out the window lest it be a bomb the blonde ripped the brown postage paper from the box. Beneath the wrapping with was just a boring white box, nothing was written on it anywhere. She pulled the top off and a confused look fell over her face.

Inside sat a brand new (not to mention rather expensive-looking) cell phone. She lifted it carefully from the box examining its shiny surface before attempting to flip it open. Her eyebrows folded when the phone didn't budge, studying it for a few moments she tried again, noting happened so she slipped it over looking for some soft of hint as to how to work the thing.

It turned out she had been holding it upside-down and the screen was on the other side, but there were no number keys. The girl wasn't a wiz when it came to modern technology, but she was sure that phones still used number keys, so after a moment she pressed her finger against the bottom and slid the phone open.

The screen illuminated showing the Kaiba Corp. logo, after a few moments she had opened the phone book to find that there were a few numbers already programmed in. 'Kaiba Cell', 'Kaiba Home' and 'Kaiba Office' were listed in alphabetical order. Smirking, Ali selected his office number and held the phone to her ear hearing it ring.

After a few rings a chipper female voice greeted her. "Kaiba Corporation, how may I help you?"

"Uh… is Seto there?" the blonde asked, she had expected it to be him who answered the phone.

"May I ask who is calling?"

"Scarface."

After a long silence, the woman's voice spoke again, though sounding confused. "I'll forward the call to his office…"

Soft music began to play in Ali's ears while she waited. The blonde wondered why Seto had bothered to send her the phone such a short time after threatening to have her incarcerated if he ever saw her again.

"Maybe it was because I spit on him…" she though aloud. "It's always the politically correct corporate bastards who get off on kinky shit like that…"

Several minutes of waiting, and wondering what she would say when he answered, the brunette's cold voice sounded in her ear.

"Kaiba."

It was at this time that she realized she didn't know at all what to say. Rather than hanging up, like she had seen girls do on so many teen-movies, she said the first thing that found its way off her tongue.

"I've had it, with the mothafuckin' snakes on this mothafuckin' plane!"

There was a drawn out silence before the older boy spoke again. "Lesson in phone etiquette: One person greets another by saying 'hello'."

"Oh, my bad… should I hang up and call again?" she could practically hear his eyes roll as the words left her mouth, but couldn't help a delicate smirk from finding its way to her lips. "You know Seto, this is by far the most drastic measure any man has taken to get me to call him." She taunted.

"I only got you to call because I believe that Mokuba was greatly benefitting from your lessons, and I would like you to return to tutoring him."

The words shocked Ali almost as much as the phone itself. If it weren't for his overly-political word choices and the monotone voice he used when speaking Ali figured that it would have been a friendly gesture.

"Well… that is tempting, but I'll have to ask for a raise." She said slowly as if the decision required much thought on her part.

"I'm not paying you, remember?"

"What?" the blonde gasped in mock shock. "Well in that case… I demand a paycheck!" she expected him to reply with some logical reason why he couldn't pay her, but instead…

"How much do you want?"

It was obvious to Ali that either Seto really wanted her back, or Mokuba had really bugged him about pushing the girl away, she would have to think this over. This would require much though…

"Five-hundred a week." She shot almost instantly.

"Fine."

"What? Damn… if I had known it would be that easy I would have asked for a lot more." She whined.

"But you didn't. The car will be at your apartment to pick you up this afternoon, the same time as before. Good day." And without even waiting for her response the nineteen-year-old hung up the phone, leaving Ali slack-jawed.

"And by the way Ali, I'm very sorry about what I said to you the other night. I'm just a huge prick." She muttered to herself mocking Seto's cold voice as she stood from the bed.

"Oh well…" she sighed approaching the pile of clean laundry on the opposite side of her small room. "At least I got a cool phone out of it… and since the bastard is footing the bill, I think it's time to get in touch with some old friends from America." She smirked to herself.

--

"My turn!" Ali exclaimed swallowing the food in her mouth. She had decided to eat dinner with the Kaiba brothers that night, since Mokuba was so ecstatic to learn that he had not lost his wild music teacher. In order to avoid awkward silences and even more awkward conversation the blonde had decided to coax the two into a game that she called 'Wish Distortion'. It was simple really, one person made a wish, and the next person granted but ruined it. Mokuba and Ali were going through their turns enthusiastically while Seto seemed rather unimpressed with the game. "I wish… that I had a magic beer bottle, and every time I drank from it I teleported to a different country."

She stared at Seto who was seated across from her, looking like he was suffering from a rather mind-splitting headache.

"Seto, grant my wish." She whined dramatically squirming in her seat.

Sighing, the brunette rolled his eyes. "You get your magic beer, and then you die."

It had been his solution for every wish, everything the other two had thrown at him he had countered with their death. Ali growled shaking her blonde hair, which had been brushed and left down. "Can't you at least elaborate on my death? Like make me die from alcohol poisoning or _something_?"

"Fine. You die from alcohol poisoning." He said in a voice that suggested he was bored.

"You are so boring." She muttered. "Whatever, it's your go now."

Seto sighed again; it seemed that he had an unlimited supply of sighs on this night. "I wish you would give up on this game."

"Wish granted. I give up on the game, but only because I'm in the hospital… because you gave me AIDS."

Mokuba blinked in confusion, and Seto frowned. "I don't _have_ AIDS."

"Fine, I wish you had AIDS."

Mokuba retreated into a fit of giggles and Ali cocked an eyebrow at the CEO, whose cell phone started to vibrate loudly. Slightly thankful for the distraction the brunette raised it to his ear. "Kaiba."

"Hello, Mr. Seto—I mean Kaiba. This is doctor Mc…Lander…flargshun… you have AIDS." Ali had pulled her phone out from under the table and was speaking into it with a ridiculous voice, her face turning red as she attempted not to laugh.

Seto ended the call, glaring at the Russian blonde who couldn't contain her laughter anymore and joined Mokuba in his fit of giggles.

"I knew that phone was a bad idea." The brunette grumbled taking another bite of his food.

Ali lifted her glass of some sort of exotic fruit juice to take a sip, wiping her chin afterwards. Seto had noticed that any time the girl took a drink of anything, half of it managed to escape from her mouth. It was a quirk that grossed him out, yet fascinated him at the same time. After all, not even Mokuba managed to miss his own mouth that often, when he was an infant.

"Done." Mokuba chimed pushing his plate away from him. "Ali, can you teach me to play 'Smoke on the Water'?"

Ali looked at the boy in discontent. "What? No. Why?"

"Someone at school told me that if I was a _real_ guitarist I'd be able to play 'Smoke on the Water'. I don't know what that is… but I thought you could teach me."

"Mokie, that song doesn't take any talent to play, it's just really popular and catchy, so people think it _must_ be hard to master." She explained rolling her eyes. "You go upstairs and start warming up; I'll be there in a few."

Once Mokuba was out of the room Ali grabbed her black bag from the floor beside her sheet and pulled out what looked like a fancy blue pen. Seto watched her as she pushed a button on the side of it before lifting the hem of her shirt and jabbing it into the side of her hip.

"Sorry, Seto. Just needed some heroine." She said jokingly, but the brunette stared at her, his blue eyes questioning her.

"I wouldn't doubt that. But what are you doing?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Ali pulled the needle from her hip, replacing the cap on it and stuffing it back into her purse. "Diabetes, all the cool kids have it. I just didn't want Mokie to be jealous." She winked. The slightest embarrassment crossed her features, at the fact that she had revealed her medical condition to Seto. Standing up she turned to the door to join Mokuba upstairs. But first she turned to face the older boy, her brown eyes softening slightly.

"About the other night…" she started. "I wouldn't let anything happen to your brother. I might not be your biggest fan, but loosing the one person you've got isn't something I'd put anyone through."

She was half way out the door when the CEO spoke, something she hadn't been expecting. Honestly, he himself was a bit surprised that he replied to her.

"You had your parents." He stated, she may have lost her twin brother, but she'd always had her parents… something he never had through his own hard times.

Ali sighed not bothering to turn back to Seto. "They're nice people, but they were so consumed with their own guilt, and trying to their already failing marriage together… I got lost in translation. Besides, I was the shitty twin." She added stepping out of the dining room.

Seto watched her retreating form and wondered what she had meant by that. Weren't twins one and the same? How could she define herself as the lesser of two identical persons? Shaking the thoughts from his head the brunette reminded himself that he didn't care about her family and left the table returning to his study where he could forget about the blonde's antics and mysterious words.

--

"Harder, Mokie!" Ali screamed at the young child, suddenly realizing how inappropriate the statement was, a dark blush rose to her cheeks.

The raven-haired boy had insisted on getting a lesson on playing the drums, since seeing Tailem play them. It was clear that although he had barely met the redhead, Mokuba was quite taken with him.

"What if I break it?" he whined, folding his brows.

"They're drums, they're meant to be hit—hard." The blonde promised, motioning for the boy to try again.

Although he was quick to learn and master every other instrument she had presented him with, the boy seemed to be completely failing at the percussion instrument. He didn't seem to understand the rhythm, and got lost in the complete lack of melody. Sighing, Ali plopped herself down on the white leather couch pulling the acoustic guitar into her lap and strumming a basic song in the hopes that Mokuba would be able to follow along this time.

After five minutes of zero progress Ali crossed the room putting a record on the turn table.

"Listen to this, and try to play along." She instructed. Mokuba nodded and listened as the soft-rock ballad sang through the speakers. Ali sauntered through the door leaving the child to play by himself for a while. Her head was pounding dully from listening to his drumming for so long, so she strode down a few hallways trying to remember which room was Seto's since he kept his medicine cabinet in his personal bathroom.

After opening a few doors leading to random storage and guest rooms, she found the room she was looking for. The deep navy curtains still pulled preventing any light from entering, even though it was late evening and there was no sunlight.

Feeling along the wall for the light switch she flicked it on illuminating the room with bright light from a crystal chandelier above. Stepping across the room she saw the closed bathroom door and without another though she swung it open. Immediately she realized that it had been closed a reason.

Thick steam filled the air, fogging up the large vanity mirror above the sink and the sound of running water pounded through her ears. Her eyes flicked to the textured glass doors of the shower, the pattern cascading across the glass may have distorted specific details of what was going on inside, but Ali's brown eyes immediately recognized the outline of – a very naked – Seto Kaiba. He was facing away from her, turned to the onslaught of hot water, and she figured he hadn't realized her presence.

Figuring since she was already in an awkward situation she might as well at least get the painkillers she had come in for, so she stepped into the room, squinting through the steam to try and see the medicine cabinet. A small mirror sat on the wall near the shower, and the blonde assumed that opening it would give her access to what she was looking for.

Cursing under her breath Ali approached the cabinet, half hoping that the CEO wouldn't notice her and half not caring.

Who showers at eight o'clock anyway? Shouldn't he have been working? Maybe the stress was getting to him.

As soon as she opened the cabinet Seto turned, noticing her as she studied the countless bottles of prescription pills.

"What in the hell are you doing?" he asked angrily, not sure what to do since he was pretty much powerless in the situation. He cursed himself for having his clean towels so far away from the shower, he wouldn't be able to slip out without her seeing every inch of him.

"Calm down, I just came to get something for my headache." Ali replied not facing the boy. "Man, you have a lot of pills in here… are you sure you're not sick?"

"I'm not sick. Get out." He ordered, thankful for the distorting pattern of the glass, she wouldn't be able to see him clearly.

"Or what?" the Russian asked tauntingly. "Are you going to tackle me with your wet, naked body? I could probably make enough money selling _that_ story to the tabloids to last me my whole life." She smirked, enraging the brunette further. "Actually… doesn't the phone you gave me have a camera built in?"

She reached into the pocket of her loose fitting blue jeans and removed the phone, studying it dramatically. "Oh my, it does!"

"I'm warning you Shvakova…" Seto growled.

"Relax, I'm just fucking with you. Seriously though… what is all this medicine for?"

"That's none of your concern. Get out."

Ali sighed. "Fine whatever. Tell me what I can take for my head and I'll get out."

"There is some extra-strength ibuprofen on the top shelf." The CEO grumbled watching as the silhouette of the blonde stood on her toes to reach the top shelf sifting through the bottles until she found what she was looking for.

"Wow Seto… 800mgs? Isn't that kind of harsh?" (1)

The brunette ignored her, hoping that his silence would speak louder than the words he was ready to throw at her. The Russian removed a single pill from the bottle and approached his sink. Grabbing the cup he used for drinking she turned the tap on, filling it up with water and downing the medicine with it.

"Thanks." She said turning to the door before turning back, if the glass of the shower door had been clear Seto would have seen the evil smirk that graced her lips. "Oh, one more thing." She darted towards the toilet and pressed down on the silver level, flushing it.

Immediately Seto was hit with a torrent of icy water, his ears barely registered the taunting laugher of the blonde as she escaped from the room, shutting the door behind her.

Sighing softly the brunette reached down to turn the taps off, he wished Mokuba hadn't grown so attached to the blonde, so that she wouldn't be around to cause such disturbances.

Why couldn't she just be afraid of him like all the other people he paid?

--

(1) - So the OTC ibuprofen most people buy is 200mgs max, you need a perscription for anything higher. 800mgs is pretty intense for a non-narcotic painkiller.

* * *

Thanks for reading!  
Review!

KC!


	10. Black Bird Pie

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **10

**Title:** Black Bird Pie

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**Note: **Sorry it's so long, it just wouldn't stop being written. Asshole chapter...

* * *

Seto Kaiba stared blankly at his computer screen, blinking slowly as he tried to comprehend the information in front of him. Focus seemed like an impossible fantasy at the moment, he realized, rereading the first paragraph of the report for what was probably the third time that afternoon. Growling he shut his eyes on the brightly lit computer screen feeling them burn uncomfortably, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

The first thing he had done that morning was call on his personal assistant to research all he could about Lancifer Shvakova, Ali's brother. He had found himself thinking lately about the situation Ali was in with the recent declaration of her brother's alleged death. Since then his head had been somewhere else, no he wasn't mulling over every detail of the Russian girl or her twin brother, but his concentration had faltered.

Sighing, the brunette glanced at the large silver clock on his office wall, it was nearly one o'clock, and he had yet to produce any evidence that he had even bothered to enter the office that day. Not that it mattered too much, he didn't have anyone to answer to but himself, and none of employees would dare ever question their sharp-tempered boss.

A loud beeped interrupted his thoughtless silence as the intercom on his desk begged for attention. Removing his hands from his face the CEO pressed the button on the small speaker box.

"What?" he snapped, not because he was in a particularly bad mood but because subconsciously he felt that he should compensate for his lack of progress by being especially demanding with his employees.

"_Mr. Kaiba, will you be leaving for lunch this afternoon?_" the smooth voice of his secretary questioned, she had long since learned not to be put off by the nineteen-year-old's sharp words.

The brunette stared intercom, he never took lunch, surely his own secretary knew that.

And even so, why would she bother asking?

"No, Sherri."

After his answer there was no speaking from the woman and Seto turned back to the computer screen and narrowing his eyes in attempt to comprehend each individual word. He heard the door of his office open, and assumed it was Sherri bringing him some sort of nourishment as she often did, not that he ever ate any of the food she offered him. The woman was just overly-concerned about him, and if she wasn't so good at her job he would have gotten rid of her for it.

Ignoring the sound of someone stepping into his office Seto did his best to look like he was concentrating on the words on the screen, Sherri would probably just set the food on his desk and leave like usual.

"Wow this place is like the size of my whole apartment!"

Seto grimaced at the voice, right when he had thought his office was the one place he could escape the insane blonde she had managed to wriggle her way in and pollute that also.

Blue eyes snapped up from the screen and stared at the awe-struck Russian standing in the center of his office. She was wearing a pair of white knee-length shorts and a black wife-beater; around her thin blonde hair she had tied a powder-blue bandana.

"What are you doing here Aldorina?" Seto asked making sure that his voice expressed the distaste he felt towards her. Instantly snapping out of her shocked state the girl sauntered towards him standing directly opposite where he sat behind his desk.

"I thought we needed some bonding time so I decided to extend and invitation to you to join me for a luncheon." Ali said her voice sounded over-dramatic and ridiculous.

"No. And how did you even get in here?" the brunette asked shortly. His secretary never let anyone in without asking his permission first.

"She's a romantic. I told her I was going to sweep you away for a lovely meal so that we could discuss our future children."

"… excuse me?"

"Oh yeah, I also told that you're madly in love with me."

"Get out." Seto demanded rolling his eyes when the blonde ignored his order and moved around the desk to stand over his shoulder.

"Whatchya doin'?" she asked glancing at the computer screen scrunching her nose up at the complicated wording and references.

"None of your business, remove yourself from my office." The brunette snapped irritatedly, he was beginning to rethink keeping Sherri as his secretary.

"Oh come on." Ali whined. "All of my friends are busy and I'm hungry. Take that stick out of your ass for like one minute and eat lunch with me." She said, her voice taking on a slightly threatening tone. She pulled herself up to sit on the large oak desk kicking her feet lightly, it reminded him of something Mokuba did often.

"No."

"Fine then I guess I'll just stay here and hang out." The girl stated matter-of-factly. She jumped off the desk and approached the dark leather love-seat near the door throwing herself down on it and fixing her brown eyes on the CEO.

Seto made a point to ignore the Russian and return to attempting to read the facts on his computer screen, though he could feel her eyes still on him. Studying him. _Really_ bothering him.

"Six foot two, eyes are blue… coochi-coochi-coochi coo." The girl recited in a sing-sing voice, giving up on ignoring her, the brunette let his eyes snap to Ali.

"What?"

"I'm writing a song about you." The Russian said proudly, grinning ridiculously at him. "There are twenty-two verses, if you want I could sing them all. It's a pretty good song, I'm thinkin' it could be my masterpiece."

"If I put food in your mouth will you be quiet?" the brunette asked, sounding dangerously ticked-off.

"Ah, and he finally catches on." Ali said standing from the couch. "I'm craving food-court food. Let's go to mall." She decided watching Seto stand and following her out of the room.

As they made their way to the elevator the CEO made sure to send an especially piercing glare at his secretary who only smiled victoriously, having no idea that his relationship with Ali was anything but romantic.

"You're lazy." The blonde said as the two sat in the back of Seto's limousine on their way to the Domino mall. "I mean how hard is it to drive yourself from place-to-place? Not that hard, I would think… then again I don't have my license." She babbled on staring out the tinted-glass window.

"You don't have a license?" Seto asked, slightly surprised. At eighteen most teens were driving themselves around, or wishing they could afford car, but very few completely lacked a license.

"Dude, the thought of operating a motorized vehicle is enough to keep me away from the DMV." She said, shaking her head. Seto mentally agreed the thought of her driving public streets would keep him off the road at all costs.

The intercom connecting the driver to the passengers bleeped on and the driver's voice interrupted the silence that had finally fallen over the two teens.

"Mr. Kaiba, we have arrived. Shall I wait outside?"

"No. I'll call you to come get us." The brunette replied opening his door and stepping into the busy parking lot, grimacing as the sound of cars and people assaulted his ears. Not bothering with her own door Ali climbed out behind him, gently shoving him out of the way as she made her way to the front doors of the large building.

Seto frowned as the blonde beckoned him to follow her, but closed the car door and stepped forward anyway.

"So what do you want to eat?" the Russian girl asked once they came into view of the huge food court. The CEO had never been to a mall food court, and had no intention of eating the food. So he remained silent as Ali approached a booth and ordered French fries. Seto ordered a bottle of water, and paid before following the girl to a table for two in the center of the huge hall.

As he walked he could feel the eyes of many people following him, no doubt shocked to see the almighty Seto Kaiba in such a public place doing something perceivably… normal. The nineteen-year-old noticed that Ali was either oblivious to the stares or extremely good at pretending that she didn't notice.

"You're going to die." She said suddenly once he sat down across from her.

"What?"

Ali motioned at the bottle of water in the CEO's hand and frowned through a mouthful of the fries.

"Just because I don't eat mass amounts of disgusting food doesn't warrant my death." He stated boredly sipping from the water and sending glares to a few close strangers who were very clearly eavesdropping.

"Whatever." The Russian mumbled stuffing more of the greasy defiled potatoes into her mouth and pulling out the cell phone he had sent her the day before. "No one ever calls me." She whined swallowing the food and sliding open the cell.

"Did you give anyone your new number?" Seto asked rolling his eyes.

"No, why would I do that?"

"No one is going to call you if they don't have your number."

"Oh!"

The brunette frowned at the girl's stupidity, or was it ignorance? Either way he found it extremely annoying. After a few moment of silence Ali had finished inhaling her food and stared at Seto who was texting his office on his BlackBerry.

"I have to tell you something, I sort of lied, I didn't really want top eat lunch with you." She said slowly, studying the older boy's face for any indication that he was angry. Glancing up from his work Seto narrowed his blue eyes suspiciously.

"What do you want, then?"

"Well… Mokuba's birthday is November 23rd, which is in two days. I was hoping you could help me with a gift." Seto noticed that she seemed calmer than usual and her eyes were focused on him. Rolling his eyes the brunette removed his wallet from the pocket of his white trench coat.

"How much do you want?" he asked, hoping that if he threw some money at the blonde she would leave him alone for the remainder of the day.

"What? No! You're a fucking moron!" she exclaimed, returning to her usual profane, less-than-calm self. "I meant help me pick it out, retard." She grumbled looking around and noticing several people gawking. "Seto put the damn wallet away before people start thinking I'm a hooker."

Seto blinked in surprise before slipping the wallet back out of sight. Why did she want him to help her with a gift?

"What did you have in mind?" the brunette asked slowly, making sure to keep his face as devoid of emotion as possible, lest the psychotic girl in front of him suddenly say something ridiculous… again.

"I dunno, you're his brother that's why I need your help, and keep in mind that I'm _slightly _less fortunate than you when it comes to cash." Ali explained standing up quickly and stumbling, she grabbed the back of her chair for balance cursing under her breath. "Uh… Seto."

The brunette fixed his eyes on her, her eyes were glazed over and she was swaying slightly looking dizzy and disoriented.

"Could you go in my bag and grab my pen, er… my needle."

Although Seto didn't want to touch the black canvas bag that she lugged everywhere with her, he wanted even less to be seen in the middle of a mall with an unconscious girl as company so reaching over he peered into the bag.

Garbage, the majority of its contents were crumpled up papers and other pieces of garbage. Frowning he sifted though the loose sheets of paper until his fingers rested on the insulin needle. As he looked up to hand the thing to Ali he noticed that she was grinning stupidly, her eyes extremely out of focus.

"Aldorina?"

Suddenly the younger teen burst out laughing, letting go of the chair and immediately falling to the ground, all the while chuckling about God-knows-what. (1)

"What in the Hell…" Seto mumbled watching and trying to recall what he could about diabetes. He assumed the blonde's blood sugar was extremely low, which probably meant she wasn't taking her insulin properly on her own, growling he grabbed her wrist and yanked her onto the chair shoving the needle into her shaking hands.

Brown eyes tried to focus on the object, but failed dropping it to the ground and she laughed again gazing up at Seto. "You're funny when you're annoyed." She babbled grinning goofily, reaching up to yank on a strand of the shiny chestnut hair.

The CEO bent to retrieve the fallen medication. "Hold still." He growled a hint of warning in his voice. This was the last thing he had planned on happening that day, when he had woken up and headed off to work.

After sending glares to onlookers who immediately returned to their own conversations, Seto shook the pen making sure it was loaded and there were no air bubbles. Groaning inwardly he moved a hand to lift the hem of Ali's black wife beater.

The blonde giggled as his long fingers brushed the skin of her abdomen while he tried to recall where she had injected herself the previous night in his dining room. It had been on the side of her hip, right?

Moving the extra material out of the way he noticed a small tattoo on the left side of her pelvis, he recognized it as the Russian word for 'twins'. Not thinking much about it, in an attempt to get this over and done with as quickly as possible, Seto stuck her with the needle pressing the release button on the top and watching as the fluid drained into Ali's blood stream.

Once he was finished the CEO set the needle back on the table and seated himself across from the eighteen-year-old blonde waiting for her blood sugar to even itself out. As he did so he watched Ali bob her head to the sound of music only she seemed to hear and listened to her sing off-key in a mixture of languages, seemingly unable to decide on whether the lyrics were in English, Russian or Spanish.

After several minutes, and about ten million glares to confused people watching the scene Ali had calmed down and was staring at Seto with a look of embarrassment.

"Uh… sorry, I forgot to take my insulin this morning and that was my first meal… my bad."

Seto was debating on whether or not to respond when a few familiar voices wandered to his ears.

"Hey, isn't that Kaiba?"

"No way, moneybags wouldn't be caught dead in a mall."

Blue eyes scanned the hall until they rested on a group of teens who had just entered the food court; he immediately recognized them as Tea Gardener, Yugi Mouto, Joey Wheeler and that other brunette who Seto had never bothered to become acquainted with.

Following Seto's gaze Ali noticed the group of teens currently looking towards them. She gasped, "Holy crap! Are those your friends? Do you have friends?" she wondered in shock.

The brunette rolled his eyes wondering if he had been better off with the dazed, babbling Ali. "No."

"No what? No they aren't your friends? Or… no you don't have friends?"

Silence.

"Fine I'll go figure it out on my own."

Before Seto could protest the Russian had hopped up and was sauntering towards Yugi and his friends, who seemed very confused.

"Hi." Ali smirked at the group of teens, studying each of them. They greeted her with scattered 'hellos' clearly unsure who she was, why they had seen her with Kaiba, or why she was now speaking with them. "I'm Ali, are you Seto's friends?"

"Friends?! He's callin' us his _friends_?! Well I missed that memo." Joey exclaimed glaring at Seto who had finally decided to get up and was making his way towards Ali and the teens. He immediately regretted ever having left his office.

Scratch that.

He regretted ever letting Ali take on tutoring Mokuba, not one good thing had happened to him around the psychotic girl.

"Who are you?" the blonde asked Joey who was still glowering in Seto's direction. Immediately he looked at Ali, taking in her scruffy appearance, but with much less resentment than the older Kaiba.

"I'm Joey." He grinned at her. "And that's Tristan, and she's Tea and the shorter guy is Yugi Mouto." He announced, dropping Yugi's name as if it would make him seem cooler. You had to be cool to hang out with the Duel Monster's world champion, right?

Unfortunately, Ali's recognized the name not from its title, but because he had been the boy on the phone for Seto that day when she had given a very false explanation of her… relations with the CEO.

Noticing the light blush on Yugi's cheeks it was obvious that he had recognized her voice as well, his eyes seemed able to rest anywhere but on her. The blonde decided to try and make the situation less awkward.

"Yugi Mouto! Right best duelist in the world!"

She was never good at making things _less_ awkward.

Immediately Seto sent an icy glare at her, and Yugi looked like he would die of embarrassment. "Well… Seto's is very good as well." He muttered in the hopes that a fight wouldn't ensue between Seto and Joey as often happened in these situations.

"No way Yug! You're the best and everyone knows it." Joey said, meeting the brunette's eyes with a challenging glare.

"Need a muzzle, mutt?"

Ali's jaw dropped as she turned to Seto. It was the first time she had heard him talk to anyone (save herself) so viciously. But upon closer inspection she realized that the nineteen-year-old was in fact… smirking. Sure it was an ego-maniacal smirk, and not a smile but still, it seemed like more than she had ever been really offered.

"Sure, muzzle me up! I'll escape while you're special ordering the muzzle from Milan." Joey retorted, his posture suggesting that he was ready for a full on battle.

The rest of the teens only watched timidly as Joey and Seto glared angrily at each other, Joey with a defensive look on his face and Seto never loosing that self-satisfied smirk. Finally the silence became too overwhelming for Ali and she had to speak.

"LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!" she screamed dramatically, succeeding in getting the attention of not only the teens around her but everyone within a forty-foot radius. (2)

Immediately Joey bent over laughing, Tristan joining him while Tea and Yugi smiled, leaving Seto as the only one who didn't understand what was going on. Ali only stared bewildered as she was laughed at.

"That… wasn't even _that_ funny." She said slowly, before looking up at the CEO and smiling widely. "I _love_ these guys!"

"So what are you doing here… together? Shouldn't you be at work, Kaiba?" Tea asked offering a friendly smile to both the blonde and Seto.

"Birthday shopping for Seto's little brother." Ali said quickly, still smiling.

"It's Mokuba's birthday?" This time it was Tristan who had spoken, for the first time since Ali had approached them.

"In two days." The Russian explained, holding up two fingers to accentuate her point.

"Oh, well we're going to have lunch, we'll leave you guys to do that." Tea said, stepping towards the several food booths and tables that Seto and Ali had just left from.

The blonde nodded, and Seto stared indifferently at… well, nothing in particular.

"Well I hope I'll see you around soon, er—wait!" Ali stopped talking pulling out her cell phone. "I'm supposed to tell you my phone number so that you'll know it!"

Seto rolled his eyes, it seemed like she had come straight out of the dark ages with no real concept of how to work anything invented in the past hundred years, save electric instruments.

Joey also removed his own phone from his pocket flipping it open and eagerly waiting for Ali to relay the information to him. After a few moments of silence the American boy spoke. "You were about to give me your number…?"

Ali stared at her own phone before looking back towards Seto. "How do I know what my number is?"

The brunette almost faltered, his lips loosening as he fought off the urge to let his entire jaw fall slack. "You are so pathetic." He murmured taking out his own BlackBerry to look up her phone number.

He relayed the number to Joey, who eagerly added it to his phonebook, before saying his goodbyes and following the rest of his friends towards the food court.

Halfway down the hall Ali looked back over her shoulder to where the blonde boy was sitting with his friends.

"Now there goes someone I would like to screw."

"Do you think before you talk?"

"Negative, sir."

Seto rolled his eyes, though it didn't one bit surprise him that the Russian had taken an interest in the mutt, they seemed like two halves of a rotten peach.

"So what are you getting for Mokuba? Twelve is a pretty important age, I mean when I was twelve I got my very first criminal charge." She gloated as they passed several clothing stores. "Not that I think Mokie would steal a car."

"I thought you were afraid to drive."

"I didn't drive it."

"How did you steal a car, without driving it?"

"I took it apart piece-by-piece. It took me all night, bit it was so funny!" Ali laughed shaking her head at the memory. "But really, what are you getting him?"

Seto shrugged, his gifts to his brother were usually extravagant and expensive but it seemed that Mokuba grew bored of them within a few weeks. Truthfully he hadn't even decided on what he would buy for Mokuba this year, and seeing as there were only two days left it was unusual for him to be so far behind.

Suddenly he realized that Ali was smirking at him, it wasn't that so much as the mischievous sparkle dancing in her eyes that made him ask…

"What?"

"I know what we should get him."

Seto narrowed his eyes. "_We_ are not getting him anything. You are his teacher; you shouldn't even be so involved in his life. Most eighteen-year-old girls don't spend their time obsessing over eleven-year-old boys."

"Jesus, calm down. I'm not going to rape your kid brother, I just though it would be nice if we… never mind, you don't care."

Of course, the moment she suddenly didn't want to tell him, the CEO suddenly wanted to know, silently cursing his control-freak ways he frowned.

"What?"

"Nope, you rejected the idea. Now poor dejected me is just going to slink off into the shadows and cry. _Cry_ giant tears of sadness and…"

"And?"

"I'm sorry I totally forgot what we were talking about."

Seto rolled his eyes. Yep, defiantly perfect for the mutt.

"Because of that!" Ali's jaw was slack as she pointed at the front window of a nearby store. Seto turned to follow her finger, expecting to see some sort of musical instrument or some sort of tool that would assist someone in committing a crime.

But when he laid his eyes on what exactly the blonde was pointing at he immediately cursed himself for believing that she was predictable.

"No." the words flew out of his mouth the second he registered what he was looking at. Behind the glass was a massive painting of a red-haired woman wearing extremely kinky-looking lingerie, leaning up against a car provocatively, fashioned to be a picture in the style of early pinup girls.

"What? Why not?" she sounded shocked as she tilted her head up to meet Seto's eyes. "He's turning twelve, which means puberty soon! He'll totally thank you!"

The CEO didn't know how to react; he was trained for business disasters not walking, breathing, _thinking_ disasters. "I don't have enough time to tell you why not."

"Killjoy…" Ali muttered, stepping forward to enter the art store. "Well let's start in here anyway."

The store was warm and smoke from burning incense stung the older teen's nose as he followed behind the Russian. The walls were covered with paintings of all sorts, as well as shelves full of artistic knick-knacks. Immediately Ali disappeared behind the shelves leaving Seto to glance over things on his own.

Seto studied a large sculpture of a Blue Eyes White Dragon throwing its head back, mouth open as if in a ferocious scream, it was extremely realistic and beautifully fashioned. He scanned the room for a sign of the shop owner, deciding that he would buy the sculpture for his home study but his search was interrupted when he heard Ali squeak in excitement.

"Seto." She said loudly. "Come see this!"

"Where are you?"

"_Follow my voice…_" the girl said, imitating a ghosts voice.

"Where are you?"

"I'm behind the big red cabinet, loser."

Seto frowned, but looked for a large red cabinet nevertheless, noticing it only a few meters away from him the nineteen-year-old stepped around it and spotted Ali staring up at something on the wall.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly, letting his eyes follow hers. On the wall was another painting, however this one was much, much more simple… and less inappropriate.

A huge mahogany frame held a plain black canvas, in the center of the canvas painted in dull gold paint was the kanji symbol for 'brother', it was relatively small in comparison to the canvas, but extremely noticeable against the black background.

It was simple. It was meaningful. It was perfect. And Seto hated the blonde for being the one to find it.

"What do you think?" she breathed finally. "It's so… _right_."

"It's decent."

Ali rolled her brown eyes. "You're such a glacier."

"May I help you?" an annoyed woman's voice spoke from behind the two. Turning both teens studied the woman, she was in her mid-forties, wearing far too much makeup and dressed like she was still in the early twenties. Clearly she was unimpressed by the two teens in her store, her eyes fixed distrustfully on Ali's scruffy outfit and the black bag she was carrying. "There are security cameras in here, so don't try anything." She warned.

"What the fuck, you bitch! We were just admiring this pain--"

"I will take this." Seto stated cutting off the enraged Russian, and motioning back at the painting.

The woman looked annoyed; Ali noticed that she seemed to be the only person so far who _didn't_ recognize Seto.

"Honey, that's a twenty-two hundred dollar painting." She said mockingly, placing her hands on her hips. Seto ignored her.

"Also, I would like the blue eyes sculpture near the front." He said tonelessly. "I will need both delivered tomorrow morning to this address." He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to the woman who suddenly looked shocked when she saw the name on the card.

"Oh! I had no idea you were Seto Kaiba's son!"

Ali snorted. "He _is_ Seto, so stick _that_ in your mouth and suck it." Sure, she was slightly ashamed at having to hide behind the brunette's reputation, but she couldn't resist the opportunity to get back at the woman.

Seto glanced disapprovingly at the younger girl before continuing. "Should I pay for it all now, or upon delivery?"

"Oh, now is fine Mr. Kaiba." The woman said suddenly in much better spirits, leading the CEO towards the front desk to work out the payment and delivery.

While the two were talking Ali found her way to one of the knick-knack shelves, flitting her fingers across random objects until something caught her eye. It was a small stone with words painted across.

'_Sometimes you need to loose something to realize what it is you really need.'_

Ali sighed. "Lance…"

"What?"

The blonde whirled around to find her face almost buried in Seto's chest. "I—nothing. I said nothing." She snapped quickly watching Seto's eyes fall on the shelf and a delicate frown etched over his face.

"Are you getting that?"

"Hm?" Ali murmured turning back to the shelf and noticing that hung over the rock was a necklace. A necklace that she hadn't noticed there before. A pendant hung on a black rope; it was silver and shaped like a musical note the words 'Live. Laugh. Love.' Were etched up the note in cursive writing. Carefully the blonde lifted it from the rock.

"How much for this?" she yelled to the shopkeeper who was still at the desk looking over some paperwork, the woman stopped and approached Ali, pushing her glasses up her most as she inspected the necklace.

"Ninety."

"For a necklace?!"

"Honey that is sterling silver, it's not free." The woman taunted. "Are you taking it, or just getting your finger prints all over it?"

Brown eyes rolled as Ali dug into her bag and pulled out a small wad of cash, counting out almost half of it and handing it to the lady. "Could you put it in a gift box or something'?"

The woman nodded taking the necklace and returning a few moments later with a tiny wrapped box. Saying goodbye she watched as the two teens left her store.

"Well that was relatively painless, huh?" Ali grinned punching Seto lightly on the shoulder. The brunette shrugged her away and pulled out his phone which had just beeped loudly. He noticed that he had a message from his secretary.

He was late for a meeting he had called.

Glaring down at the Russian he realized that two hours had passed awfully quickly, and this would be the first time in years he was late for anything, particularly his own meeting. Frowning he watched as she stood waiting for him to call his driver, she was staring at the ground as if it somehow kept the secrets of life.

"What?" she asked noticing his eyes on her and looking up.

"I'm late. Call yourself a cab I don't have time to take you home." The brunette state, turning and walking away from the girl.

She stood stunned for a few moments before opening her mouth.

"Screw you Seto I'm riding in the damn limo! You can't get rid of me that easily!"

And she took off running after the older teen.

--

(1) – When diabetic people get 'low' it's kind of like a natural drug, and makes them all fun and retarded.

(2) – Chris Crocker. _Big time_ apologies if you don't get the refrence.

* * *

R&R !!  
KC.


	11. No Stranger to Shame

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **11

**Title:** No Stranger to Shame

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**Note: **Chapter disclaimer! Don't own Smirnoff Vodka (although it has given me more than one lovely night), and I don't own the song 'You Can't Always Get What You Want', the Rolling Stones own that, I only adore it.

* * *

'_Save me I'm being attacked by goldfish!'_

Seto stared at his BlackBerry reading the text message again, it looked like Ali had finally discovered the art known as texting, and of course the CEO would have to be the first to receive her deep and meaningful messages. Rolling his eyes the teen placed the phone back into his pocket and continued tying ribbons to balloons.

"I'm sitting right next to you, you know." He stated as if it wasn't already a known fact. "And they aren't goldfish they're Gobies."

Ali stared at the tropical fish swimming in the huge aquarium, her brown eyes sparkling in fear. "They're scary."

Seto rolled his eyes, the blonde had insisted on coming to his house that after noon while Mokuba was at school to decorate for his birthday. The brunette would have rather had his maids do it but the Russian girl had complained that it would mean more if they did it themselves.

Which so far meant Seto doing it by himself while she touched things and annoyed him with random text messages.

"Are you going to do anything?"

"I'm giving you moral support Seto!"

"Tie these." He ordered handing her a handful of the ribbons and a few deflated balloons.

"I can't, small hands." She explained holding her hands up as if to prove her point. "You're the one with the skillful finger work." She winked.

"Then inflate some balloons."

"I can't, I have bad lungs." She countered waving the cigarette she had lit only minutes before.

"Don't smoke in Mokuba's bedroom." The CEO reprimanded, knowing that it probably wouldn't do him any good the blonde never really paid attention to what he said, which was beginning to wear his patience thin.

Ali stared around at the room from where she and Seto sat on the large bed, it was much brighter and more pleasant than Seto's room, almost everything was white including the bed covers, curtains and frame. The walls however were painted a lovely baby blue which made the blonde smile, something about that colour always made her smile. Through the windows was an amazing view of the gardens which were more colourful than anything in the house.

The Russian was happy to see another acoustic guitar in Mokuba's room; hopefully he was playing on his own a few hours a day. The fish tank really creeped her out, but the multiple gaming consoles and massive TV set intrigued her.

"I never had Mokuba pegged as a video games kid, he seems so well read." She said leaning back into the fluffy pillows at the head of the bed and watching Seto tie ribbons to already-inflated balloons. She was holding a glass of water that had been the brunette's drink at one point and flicking her cigarette ashes into it.

The CEO shrugged, eternally annoyed by the high-maintenance girl. "He's both."

"Oh. So are there kids coming by later? For a birthday party… and cake? Will there be cake? I love cake, I like cherry cake… I don't really understand carrot cakes, I mean who woke up one day and thought 'Today I'm going to bake carrots into a perfectly good cake.'? That's just silly. You know what else is silly? Polygamists. I mean, who woke up on e day and thought 'Gee today I'm going to marry twenty-two women.'? That's just gross. You know what else is gro--"

"No, there is not going to be a party. Yes there will be cake, but you'll be gone." Seto snapped cutting off her incessant babbling.

"Oh hell no, I'm helping you decorate, and I'm staying for cake!" Ali retorted angrily. Seto didn't even bother to point out, again, that she wasn't helping him do anything except go prematurely insane.

Finally dropping the butt of her cigarette into the glass, which Seto noted would be garbage since she had poisoned it; the girl jumped up from the bed and turned on one of the gaming systems. Plopping herself down in front of the huge TV on a pillow, she began to play the game.

Seto listened as Ali's fingers pounded the keys, judging from the sounds coming from the game she didn't really know what she was doing. After about fifteen minutes of her mumbling to the game she finally gave up and sprawled out of the floor.

"Do you have any candy?"

"No."

Ali sighed dramatically and rolled over onto her stomach watching him intently as if he might do a trick if she stared long enough. "What's that on your neck? Mokie has one too."

She pushed herself up and crawled towards the CEO who was sitting on the foot of the bed, leaning up she clutched the locket shaped as a Duel Monster's card.

"Don't touch me." Seto said firmly, trying to swat her away but failing as she proceeded to flip open the locket, against his orders.

"Ohhh…" she cooed. "Itty-bitty Mokie!"

Finally standing up, Seto shook the girl off leaving her sitting on the floor and staring at him like she was a wounded animal. "You hurt me here." She said pointing at her heart. The CEO only rolled his eyes and stepped around her reaching for a roll of tape and beginning to tape the balloons to the posters of Mokuba's bed.

Ali stood up and began to help him, but only succeeded in pulling far too much tape off of the roll and getting it stuck between her fingers. Growling the Russian teen began to fight with the sticky stuff, out of the corner of his eyes Seto watched her with amusement.

She drove him to his wits end, yes, but sometimes she was just so unbelievably ridiculous he couldn't help but watch her.

As if reading his mind the blonde met his eyes. "Oh you're loving watching me suffer."

"You have tape on you; I'd hardly define that as suffering."

"You suck, Seto Kaiba. You are the king of suckage."

"Suckage?"

"Suckage."

Seto rolled eyes and returned to what he was doing and leaving Ali to fumble with the tape, after a few moments both of her hands seemed to be bound by the stuff and she chewed at her lips while trying to escape the small imprisonment.

"Here." The brunette approached her holding a pair of scissors, finally having had enough amusement. Swiftly he grabbed her by the wrist and prepared to cut her loose when she jerked back, tripping over her feet and falling on the floor, landing flat on her bottom and groaning in pain.

Seto frowned, it was the second time he had attempted to help her and had her fly off him like that, the night she had fallen and hit her head in the music room and now this. He was itching to ask 'what's wrong with you?' but it didn't seem like something worth asking, really. And of course… he didn't _really _care what weird issues she had.

Instead, the CEO only turned away and continued to decorate Mokuba's bed. It was the last room they had to tackle that afternoon, and after the kitchen, music and living rooms it was by far the easiest. After several minutes Ali had finally dealt with the tape and was tying balloons to random objects in the room, not once going near the tape or Seto.

After putting a few brightly colored balloons around the room she stopped at Mokuba's bedside table and pulled open the top drawer rummaging through it.

"What are you doing?" Seto asked, not appreciating her invasion of his brother's privacy.

"Looking."

"For?"

"I dunno… cigarettes, lube, condoms, gay porn, handcuffs, baby pictures, a sandwich… whatever."

The CEO stared at Ali for a moment, it seemed that she had no limits at all on what she would say, and it never ceased to shock him. Of course, he would never let her see that.

"That's what you keep in a bedside drawer?"

"Meh, pretty much… plus a few other toys." She turned and winked suggestively at him. "What about you? What do you keep in your goody drawer?"

"I don't have a… _goody drawer_." Seto drawled.

"Yeah, I kinda figured, you don't seem like the kinda guy to actually _know_ anything about good sex."

Seto stared at her, his face completely devoid of emotion, even though he was shocked and extremely ticked off by her last remark.

"_Excuse me_?"

"Oh come on Seto, you sleep with models. I mean yeah—they're pretty, but have you ever actually had a mind blowing, toe curling, _amazing_ lay?" Ali asked closing the drawer and moving towards the bedroom door. "I doubt it. But I'm hungry I'm gonna go raid your kitchen."

And just like that she left; much to Seto's annoyance she had made a point. He didn't use sex as anything more than a release to relieve stress. But again, he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing that, even if he wondered in the back of his mind what tricks she knew that he didn't…

Of course he was immediately jerked from his thoughts by the sound of Ali tripping down the stairs and yelling curse words in several different languages as a maid tried to help her. Rolling in his eyes the CEO picked up the few supplies left and also left the room.

--

"… happy birthday dear Mokie, happy birthday to you!"

Seto cringed as the blonde sang loudly, she didn't have an exceptional voice as it was, but it seemed she was being particularly off-key and obnoxious as she sang to Mokuba who was grinning like he had just won the lottery.

"Blow out the candles!" she shouted jumping happily as the boy leaned forward to extinguish the twelve small candles on the huge birthday cake that could've easily fit a hundred of the small wax sticks, of course when Seto when had proposed that they put on a hundred the girl had complained that it would 'destroy the tradition' and then lectured the brunette about turning everything in to a 'shrine of excess' eventually he had begun ignoring her but he remembered her bringing up starving kids in Ethiopia.

As soon as the flames were diminished the Russian girl yanked out one of the candles and began licking icing off the end of it, smiling when the sugary, chocolaty dessert touched her tongue.

"Oh my god yum! I want a huge piece!" she exclaimed to Cindy, the maid she had met on her first visit to the Kaiba mansion, as the woman cut the cake smiling brightly.

"Doesn't your medical condition require limited amounts of sweets?" Seto asked, he was still extremely annoyed by the fact that Ali had intruded on his night with his brother. If Mokuba didn't seem to enjoy her company so much he would have told her to leave _long_ ago.

The raven haired boy looked at Ali with concern and fear written all over his face. "You're sick?" he asked worriedly.

The blonde glared hatefully at Seto, who immediately remembered that she had kept her diabetes a secret from Mokuba. He didn't know why she was so embarrassed about it, nor did he care… but he still felt a small spark of guilt for mentioning anything.

"No, no Mokie." Ali said quickly. "You're brother is just a raging fucktard."

Mokuba's eyes lowered as he hoped that the two wouldn't get into a fight on his birthday, luckily both older teens saw the sadness cross his features and immediately dropped it though Ali sent a glance towards the brunette suggesting that it wasn't yet over.

"Will you be having a piece of cake Mr. Kaiba?" Cindy asked politely once the younger two had been served, the brunette had barely touched his dinner which wasn't unusual for him but when the Russian girl looked at him waiting for his answer he nodded at Cindy. No doubt Ali would have made some sort of remark if he refused cake and he really didn't want any more attention from the girl.

"Oh Mokie, I brought you something special!" the blonde suddenly exclaimed jumping up from her half-devoured cake and racing from the room leaving the two brothers to glance at each other in confusion.

"She's so…" Mokuba started trailing off searching for a word.

"It's okay, kid, I have yet to discover how to finish that statement myself." Seto admitted sticking his fork into the cake and leaving it there, he wasn't particularly fond of chocolate cake… or chocolate in general.

"I like her." Mokuba grinned taking another bite of his cake. It was Friday night so they were having dinner a bit later than usual, and if it hadn't been the last day of the week Mokuba wouldn't have been allowed to eat so much sugar so late.

Ali returned quickly holding something behind her back, Seto was sure it wasn't her gift as they had already opened the presents before dinner. Mokuba was wearing the necklace she bought him, along side the locket he never took off. And as Ali had said, the picture Seto had given him was perfect, Mokuba had insisted on it being hung above his head board as soon as he opened it. Of course he had also been given a new gaming console and several new games, but it was the picture and the necklace that seemed to mean the most.

"Okay, since you're twelve I figured it was time to give you, this…"

Seto's eyes widened before he could throw on the stoic mask that usually graced his features, Mokuba stared in confusion but Seto knew exactly what she was proposing. In her hands she held a bottle Smirnoff vodka.

Before Seto had even registered movement he was out of his chair and had the bottle in his hands, as he walked to his study and set it on his desk and turned slamming the door shut and stepped to return to the dining room but Ali met him half way.

"What the--"

"Get out of my house."

Ali looked shocked for a moment before her eyes registered anger and hurt. "What's your problem?!"

"My problem is you coming in to Mokuba's life and trying so hard to undo all of the good things that I helped him to become." The words were said before the brunette had processed them, it was unusual but didn't shock him too much, something about Ali managed to throw him off.

"I'm not trying to undo anything! I just want him to realize that there is more to life than the baring shit you throw at him! He'll figure it out eventually, Seto! I know you want him to be just like you but--"

"To be like me is the last thing I ever want for my little brother."

And that stopped her, her mouth still open as if ready to speak she could only stare up at Seto, shock falling over her face as well as a swirl of other emotions that he couldn't decipher. She only stared into his eyes before breaking from the eye contact and looking down.

"Oh my god, I'm an idiot. I'm sorry."

This time it was Seto who was shocked, he had expected a biting come back, or an angry exit… but once again she apologized and it seemed genuine. Just as it had when she found out about him and Mokuba being orphaned at a young age.

"Look, I never really had that childhood innocence and I guess I'm just hardwired to destroy it when I see it. It's jealousy, and it's selfish and I shouldn't be taking out it out on you or a great kid like Mokuba." She muttered keeping her eyes away from his and drawing circles on the leg of her black jeans. After a few seconds of silence she looked back up at the brunette who was looking at her apathetically even though his mind was racing with thoughts.

Holding out her hand she smiled lightly at him, and reflexively he shook it and nodded as if closing some kind of deal before following her back into the kitchen.

Mokuba sat at the table looking incredibly guilty when the two walked back in, Ali only smiled at him and approached him.

"So like I said, kiddo… I've got somethin' for you." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek which was immediately flushed red as the child blushed. "There now you can tell all your friends that you got kissed by a girl." She winked.

"Uhm… thanks." Mokuba said slowly looking at his brother for any indication of anger, only to see the slightest hint of amusement cross his feature momentarily.

"Alright, why don't you go set up that new video game thing while I finish my cake and then I'll be in to play with you!" the blonde said enthusiastically watching as the raven-haired child nodded happily and raced out of the room leaving his empty plate behind, quickly she inhaled the rest of her cake and reached in her bag for her insulin needle.

Seto watched her from the doorway where he still stood as she injected the chemical into her blood stream to offset the mass amount of sugar she had just consumed, again he caught a glimpse of the word 'twin' tattooed in Russian on her hip. He found himself thinking about how she would have felt loosing what would have been her other half at such a young age. He knew the stories about twins having their own languages and such when they were so young, and knew it wasn't uncommon for one twin to take their own life if the other died for some unnatural reason.

"But Seto…" she started looking up and meeting his gaze. "Now it's my turn to be ticked about something. Don't tell Mokuba that I'm sick. He's got enough stuff haunting him as it is, without adding more worry."

Haunting him? Seto frowned, his brother didn't seem haunted. He had long since lost most of the memories from the time they had spent in Gozaburo's care… hadn't he?

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh nothing." Ali said quickly gathering her purse and stepping to follow Mokuba to the gaming room. "Forget I mentioned it, kay?"

And she left, the the girl walked through the halls she wondered if she should have mentioned anything about the paper she had asked Mokuba to write, which that turned into way more than she wanted to know about the CEO's childhood. But something inside told her to wait, to wait until a better moment presented itself before she tried to talk to the icy brunette about something so personal.

Grinning to herself she followed the sounds of video game music until she found Mokuba in front of a huge flat-screen TV in the gaming room playing a game which involved magicians and other creatures of folklore.

"Hey Ali, I already picked out your character I hope that's okay. You're a fox-lady."

"Damn right." The girl smirked plopping down next to the child who looked momentarily confused before the two began to play.

Two hours of playing and Mokuba had passed out on the sofa leaving Ali to attempt to defeat the first level of the game on her own, finally glancing up from the TV her brown eyes rested on the sleeping form of the young child, smiling she stood. With some difficulty she scooped the boy up, smiling more when her wrapped his arms around her neck and rested his cheek on her shoulder mumbling incoherently. She struggled with his weight against her less-than-muscular body as she took him down the hall to his bedroom laying him down on his bed, pulling the sheets up and brushing a few stray locks from his face.

Then she wandered towards Seto's study, not bothering to knock on the door she opened it up to find the older boy doing paperwork.

"Hey." She greeted stepping in and closing the door behind herself, lighting a cigarette and sitting down on one of the brown leather arm chairs. "Mokie conked out so I put him in bed."

"Good."

She watched him for a few moments, writing all over documents, signing his name occasionally. "So what do you say you stop the work and have a drink with me?" she asked, softly. "I mean it is Friday, and you work all the time. We should just relax." She grinned, any excuse to drink usually pleased her.

"No. You can go ahead." The brunette stated nodding his head at the bottle which still sat on the corner of his desk. Rolling her eyes Ali rummaged through her bag and pulled out two shot glasses.

Seto narrowed his eyes. "Why do you have those in there?" he asked.

"Same reasons I keep a tampon, condoms and a knife… just in case." She smirked, pouring two shots. "Now come on, rich boy. Drink up."

She raised her glass and shot back the alcohol, biting on the back of her hand once she swallowed and clamping her eyes shut, grimacing at the taste of the pure vodka.

Before Seto had thought it over he followed suit, not biting his hand or closing his eyes though, alcohol never really bothered him. "There you go." He said as if expecting her to leave him alone now.

Ali nodded and poured herself another but left the brunette's glass empty unless he decided to fill it up again, after a few more shots she closed the bottle continued to watch the CEO work.

"So how come everyone sees you as an 'intimidating successful, regal, young threat to other companies that have already built up reputations'?" she asked. The brunette looked up at her his eyes holding a glint of amusement, and the blonde rolled her eyes. "I was reading a magazine, they happened to have an article about Kaiba Corp. in there."

Seto wanted to tell her that the real question was how she managed to be so satiric towards him without any real fear of consequence. Instead, however, he only shrugged.

"You are pretty young though… I mean how do you wind up with… all _this_" she motioned at the room around them "at only nineteen? I'll be lucky if I even make it to university by next year…" she sighed.

"Determination." The older teen replied. It was part of the truth. It had been his own determination to keep Mokuba safe and his step-father's determination to make Seto into a successful businessman that brought him to where he was.

"Hmmm…" Ali thought out loud. "Can I ask you something?"

Seto rolled his eyes, he always hated when people said that, it completely defeated the purpose of the question. But then again, the blonde was beginning to seem a little tipsy so he only nodded.

"Who do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I'm thinking this is it." He answered motioning at the papers. His career had been decided for him long before he was even legally allowed to work. But Ali shook her head unsatisfied with the answer.

"No, not _what_… who? Who will Seto Kaiba be in ten years? I mean… this can't be it. I don't believe that this is all there is to you." She said locking her eyes with his.

Seto looked at her, wondering if she was drunker than he thought. For once she wasn't being sarcastic or bold; she was just talking to him as if she was his friend. Which she wasn't, he reminded himself. Frowning, he realized… he shouldn't have _had_ to remind himself.

"I want to be normal again." She said looking out his office window over the garden. "I just want to be put back together, and not be half a puzzle anymore."

Her eyes were slightly fogged over, he guessed that the alcohol was taking effect, she'd had about five shots which would cause someone her size to become intoxicated, plus her diabetes probably wasn't helping. Seto turned back to his work when the blonde began to sing softly.

He found that her voice could be somewhat soothing when she wasn't being loud and obnoxious; it was so simple, not beautiful and distracting like many famous vocalists, just simple.

"_You can't always get what you want… but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need…_" she trailed off finally and when the brunette looked up from his work he saw that she had fallen asleep, leaning her head against the chair.

Sighing Seto stood from his chair, pulling a blanket out from a nearby drawer and throwing it over the Russian girl before he flicked off his lamp and left the room. Glancing at the clock he noticed that he was only eleven o'clock, and he would be up for hours still but at least he could work in his room.

The girl hadn't been tamed, but he hoped she would calm down a little after their argument that night. Smirking to himself he shook his head lightly.

Yeah right.

* * *

Alright it's 1am, and I'm done! And I'm starving, I have a three hour blood test (seriously, I have to get my blood taken every hour for three hours… luckily I'm not afraid of needles, haha) tomorrow morning which means no eating until after that, I'm living on water… and dreams. HEEHEE.

I'm going to start doing review replies, hopefully that'll give a little incentive to more readers to review!

Thank you for reading!  
KC.


	12. The Losing Kind

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **12

**Title:** The Losing Kind

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**NOTE: So sorry about the delay, witer's block is never kind. **

* * *

Seto stared at the salad on his plate, pushing a crisp leaf of lettuce with his fork and listening intently to the words being spoken around him. It was Thursday night and rather than being home, having dinner with Mokuba he was sitting in a five-star restaurant surrounded by several important businessmen, all years older than him, but less successful.

They had been called together to discuss all the latest technological advances made by Seto's company that year, it had been a little over a month since Mokuba's twelfth birthday, and now in mid-December it was routine to have such a meeting.

It was eight o'clock sharp, and Seto remembered at Ali would probably be leaving his brother at home with the maids, he didn't like his younger brother bring left alone for too long, as he tended to get lonely.

"Well Mr. Kaiba, your patent for the earliest version of your duel disk expires in January, which will give that American company the opportunity to--"

"It doesn't matter, that technology is so old, no one could use it to create anything interesting." Seto responded emotionlessly.

The other men began agreeing with him, and the brunette groaned inwardly, these meetings were always pointless, he didn't know why he bothered with them. All of the older men sat around eating their steaks and making pointless observations while Seto sat bored out of his mind.

He continued to listen in on the men's conversation for about fifteen minutes before his ears registered something that he hadn't expected to hear, Ali's voice. Immediately his blue eyes traced the source of the voice and his jaw fell in surprise.

The blonde was indeed in the restaurant, she had just entered and was being led to a table by one of the waiters, and next to her was a man dressed in an expensive looking suit with thick brown hair. The blonde was wearing white jeans and a red t-shirt and looking entirely out of place in the room.

Seto couldn't help but watch as she sat opposite the man, she didn't look very happy as they spoke quietly to each other. Her messy hair was tucked behind her ears carelessly and she looked like she was arguing with the man, who was probably Seto's age.

The CEO was mildly confused by the scene, hadn't she been dating the mutt for a month now? Why was she in such an expensive restaurant with a man who she didn't seem to be getting along with? And why was he smiling so slyly at her?

Apparently Ali felt his gaze, because she soon turned and met his eyes, her face fell even more, and she looked as though she had just been caught doing something horrible. Immediately she tried to make it seem as though she hadn't seen him, glancing around the rest of the room before looking down into her lap. A lock of blonde hair fell in her face as she did so, and the brunette across from her reached forward and swept it back.

Usually when Seto even laid a finger on her she would lurch back, but when the other man's fingers landed on her cheek she leaned into the touch, her face still filled with dislike as she stared at him.

Seto stopped observing the two in time to continue the conversation he was having with the men at his table, but still watch from the corner of his eye as Ali continued to bicker with the brunette opposite her. His fingers were resting under her chin now, as if he would pull her into a kiss at any given moment. Instead, however he only pulled her ear to his lips, probably whispering something. The entire time, Ali's brown eyes were locked on Seto, this time fully acknowledging his presence.

Finally the man whispering in Ali's ear pulled back, and she broke her eyes from Seto and stared back to the other brunette, frowning. She said something to him and he laughed at her, patronizingly. Quickly Ali stood up and began walking quickly away from the man who only watched her leave, grinning victoriously before standing to follow her.

Seto didn't know why he did it, but he stood quickly and followed the man, leaving behind several confused businessman.

When he left the restaurant he scanned the sidewalk and quickly found the two he had followed. Ali was leaned up against the passenger door of a sleek black car; she was slipping a tattered blue jacket on. It was mid December, and a light snow was beginning to fall over the city.

Quickly her brown eyes spotted Seto, and she lowered her eyebrows in confusion, quickly she stepped towards him. "What are you doing?"

The brunette stared at her, she looked angry but somewhat relieved, flinching lightly when the other boy came up behind her snaking an arm over her shoulders. "Who's this?" he asked looked Seto over.

"Kaiba." The brunette answered, staring calculatingly at the other brunette who gave him a toothy grin.

"Of course, I should have recognized you. I'm Mikhail Sonnath, I'm interning with one of your lawyers." Mikhail said, his voice was friendly but sophisticated and his eyes were a sharp green. He turned to Ali, "This isn't the boyfriend, is it?"

Ali shook her head, staring into the green eyes. "Never in this life."

"You really haven't changed…" the green-eyed boy replied, removing his arm from her shoulders. "But that isn't a surprise. I'll be in the car, try to hurry I have a flight to catch early tomorrow." He sauntered towards the black car slipping into the driver's seat and leaving the CEO with Ali.

"Uhm…" she started, "I know you and Joey don't talk, but if you do… don't mention this."

The brunette stared at her wondering what was going on, why was she running around behind the mutt's back with a soon-to-be lawyer? Taking the CEO's silence as a question Ali sighed.

"We all have flaws." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Some of us, more than others…"

She turned away from him, sending a quick glance over her shoulder as she opened the passenger door and got in next to Mikhail. Seto turned back to the restaurant, wondering why he had followed her out in the first place. Much to his annoyance, he was itching to figure out who exactly Mikhail Sonnath was, and what Ali was doing with him.

And why she seemed so upset by whatever was going on?

--

Ali climbed the steps to the Kaiba mansion, it was after dinner and she knew she was late for Mokuba's lesson. She hadn't bothered calling Seto to inform him, seeing as he hadn't called her to check and see if she was showing up.

She had spent most of the day asleep, Mikhail had caught his flight back to America early that morning, leaving Ali still exhausted from the night. The green-eyed law student was her vice, he would find a way to get to her monthly, and she never stopped him from visiting. Ever since they had met in her sophomore year, she had become completely addicted to their ritual meetings. Even if she was in a relationship, even if she was busy, even if she was dying on the inside, she never failed to comply with his demands.

Though she would never have admitted it to him or any other person—he was the one thing that never failed her. Never failed to anger her, never failed to please her physically, and never failed to leave when she asked him to. It was nothing of a relationship, really, she hadn't even known about his internship as a lawyer until he told Seto.

She laid out the rules, and he followed them. No kissing, no 'I love you' s, no talking about anything more than what they wanted from each other, and most importantly: _never_ assume the time spent in bed will convert to real life. Even without the rules, she knew that Mikhail was far to narcissistic to ever give himself to another person fully. It was simple, it was easy, it was exactly what kept her grounded these days.

But now Seto had seen them together, and she would need to find a decent way to explain what she was doing with someone—so like the CEO, himself—when she had an ongoing relationship with Joey. Of course, that was assuming the elder Kaiba even cared, which Ali reminded herself – he didn't, he never did. When he had followed her out of the restaurant it was just human curiosity.

The blonde smirked to herself, maybe it was just her exceptional ability to read people, or maybe Seto had been neglecting to keep his guard up… but every now and then, he would do something that was so undeniably human it would make her smile.

The way he flinched each time Mokuba jumped off the counter from getting a glass, ready to catch his younger brother should he slip, the way, occasionally—and it was on a rare occasion—he paused midsentence for only a brief second to search for the word he was looking for. Yes, the regal CEO was human. He wasn't quite as human as she was, but human nonetheless.

Ali lifted her hand to the ring the doorbell, adjusting her bag on her shoulder as she waited for an answer. She was still wearing a slight amount of makeup from her dinner with Joey, she had met with him earlier that evening only hours after the lawyer had left the country. It always surprised her that regardless of any relationship she was in, she never felt guilt about her meetings with Mikhail. Perhaps because her boyfriends never lasted long, she was drawn to men too much like herself and they usually ended up simply being friends, or enemies in the end. So far she assumed that the Brooklyn blonde would follow that path, but she was enjoying herself while they were together.

After a few moments, Roswell answered the door giving her a knowing smirk. "Why Ali, I do believe you are late." He said in his usual tone. The man and Ali had a small game going, always seeing who could drive the other out of the room first. The blonde was generally victorious, but she guessed that the old man enjoyed her company as a break from his painfully routine life.

"Late, but worth the wait." She replied, winking and stepping into the foyer of the mansion, immediately kicking off the purple boots she always wore. She yanked off her tattered navy jacket and tossed it into the closet, not bothering with a hanger, it seemed her things were always organized by the time she was ready to leave, anyway.

"Young Kaiba is with his brother in the gaming room." Roswell said flatly, dismissing the girl as she ran up the stairs to find Mokuba and Seto.

True to promise, the CEO had been sending her the five hundred dollars a week since their agreement. It wasn't much, really but it helped Ali to do some things she couldn't afford before then. For instance, she had immediately purchased herself a new acoustic guitar because hers was warped and hard to keep tuned. Of course, she would never really see Seto as her employer.

Stepping into the gaming room she saw an extremely odd sight, Mokuba was sitting on the couch, a game controller of some sort in his hands, he was pressing buttons expertly. Over his eyes was some sort of visor. Seto sat next to his brother staring at the huge TV calculatingly, a clipboard on his lap and he was scribbling some notes down.

"Uh… hi?" Ali greeted stepping closer to the brothers. Seto glanced up at her briefly before returning to his notes.

"You're late."

"Gee, thanks. I hadn't noticed." She replied sarcastically, tossing her bag down on the coffee table. "Hey Mokie." When the black-haired boy didn't respond she looked slightly hurt.

"He can't hear you, the headset is interactive." The brunette stated, looking towards the TV again, Ali followed his eyes. The TV showed an extremely realistic creepy-forest setting, a red night-sky above they were watching it in the first person, as if they were walking through the beautiful scene.

"Wow, cool!" the Russian teen breathed, staring at the TV in awe. "That's the most amazing thing I've ever seen, what is this?"

"Mokuba is testing my latest virtual reality technology."

"Wait—what? You made this?"

"Yes."

"_This_?" she asked again waving her hands at the TV, as if he hadn't understood the question.

"Yes." He answered again, uninterested.

"Did you like… designed all that?" Clearly, she was still in shock.

"Yes. Now if you don't mind closing your mouth for a few minutes I would like to make sure it's as perfect as my other games." He snapped.

"Holy shit Seto, what crawled up your ass and died…" Ali muttered, annoyed by the CEOs particularly bad mood. But she quieted and continued to watch the TV, guessing that Mokuba was seeing what was on the screen but at a much more intense level.

Secretly, Ali was staring at every tree she saw, wondering how such a boring unimaginative person could have created something so amazing. After a few minutes, the forest ended and the screen went black, Mokuba pulled off the visor, smiling.

"That was so awesome Seto! Oh, hi Ali!" he greeted turning to the blonde; his eyes quickly looked her over, worry setting into the stormy pools. "Are you okay?"

Ali was taken aback for a moment. "Huh? Yeah, I'm… fine?"

"Are you sure?"

Apparently Seto was confused by his brothers sudden worry as well, because he was staring at the child questioningly.

Ali looked from the boy to his brother then back. "Mokie… why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Well Seto said you were late because Joey gave you fleas so you had to take a flea bath, and I looked it up on the internet and flea baths are dangerous for human skin." He said, genuinely concerned. Ali stared at the child; he was so intelligent… but sometimes…

"You're brother's just jealous because I'm sleeping with the puppy." She responded, her eyes set on the older Kaiba who stared back, face devoid of emotion.

"Hardly, I have standards." He retorted standing and grabbing the discarded visor from the coffee table. "Unlike you."

Ali gripped her chest where she figured her heart was, "Ow my heart." She drawled sarcastically.

"That's your sternum." Was all the brunette said as he left the room, visor and notes in hand, leaving his brother and the crazy blonde behind.

The Russian teen looked back to Mokuba, who was no longer hurt by the constant bickering—it was ritual. "I have an idea."

The child looked at her suspiciously, usually when she used those four words it ended with her being reprimanded by Seto and Mokuba getting a lecture about not going along with her plans.

"Don't look at me like that; this one doesn't involve ice cream."

"Good because thanks to you Seto won't let me eat anything with chocolate in it after noon."

"Really? That's harsh…" Ali said, shaking her head. "Sorry about that."

"What was your idea?"

Brown eyes brightened and she smiled widely as she stared at Mokuba. "Christmas is in a few weeks, and I know what we have to do for your brother." She said in a hushed voice, someone had once told her the walls had ears, the thought always haunted her.

"What?" Mokuba asked, suddenly excited by her idea. He had been trying to decide what to get his brother who had everything, and could get anything at the snap of his fingers.

"We're going to write him a song."

The child frowned, his brother didn't even like music… surely Ali knew that? And she had already said many times that Mokuba's song writing skills were 'crap'. "That's not a very good idea."

Ali rolled her eyes, "You talk like your brother. Oh well, it could be worse… you could look like him…"

"What's wrong with the way Seto looks?" the boys voice was offended.

"Nothing, I guess… if you're in to pale, twiggy guys who always look like if they sit too quickly the stick in their ass will cause discomfort."

"You're so mean."

"You're so going to help me write this song if you want a referral letter to McWilliams'." The blonde grinned back, Mokuba rolled his eyes but nodded nonetheless. He had really loosened up around the girl, and seemed to have no problem talking to (or disagreeing with) her.

"_Egg-salad_." Ali said in her best evil-genius voice, Mokuba assumed she had meant to say 'excellent', but with her it was better to simply not ask.

"So what is this song going to be about?"

"You don't worry about that—you just take care of the music 'kay?"

"Okay…" Mokuba agreed, doubtfully.

"Sweet, now run! Run to your guitar!" she said dramatically. "I'll be there in a few seconds."

Nodding the black-haired boy left the room; as soon as he was gone Ali groaned and fell into the couch, gripping her lower back. The mild pain killers she had taken before her dinner with Joey were wearing off and reminding her about every detail of her night with Mikhail.

In the back of her mind she wondered why she insisted on having it so rough, but for now she was more concerned with finding a way to move without the horrible aching taking over her body. The blonde finally decide to get up, limping slightly to follow Mokuba from the room.

She lasted about an hour in the music room before she decided she desperately needed to get home and lay down, Mokuba had retreated to his room once she said goodbye but she hadn't made it to the door.

In her search for a glass of juice, she found herself in the kitchen crouched against the wall, her eyes watering in pain—why hadn't she just stayed in bed? She tried to move, but the dull aching had turned into sharp agonizing pains. The blonde wondered if she should find Seto and beg for a few of his industrial strength pain killers…

"Yeah right… that would go well." She muttered to herself. "Oh hi Seto, yeah I was cheating on my boyfriend last night with someone training to be one of your lawyers, and we decided to get really rough. Can I have some pills?" saying it out loud only reassured her theory that the CEO would either laugh in her face, or (seeing as he never actually laughed) forbid her to ever go near Mokuba again.

"You're honesty never fails to surprise me."

Brown eyes snapped up and she realized that the brunette had been standing over her for—how long? Obviously long enough to hear her little conversation with herself. She couldn't stop the blood from rushing to her cheeks until she was sure they were on fire.

"Oh Seto, hi…" she said slowly, realizing instantly that her position on the floor was nothing short of degrading. Quickly she moved to stand up, falling back as she did so, tears stinging her eyes against her will. "I… think I'm going to just… lay her for a while."

Seto's blue eyes watched her; calculatingly his lips were pulled into a completely blank expression. He stood over her wearing a black button-down dress shirt and a pair of black jeans. Ali was surprised when she realized this—the mighty Seto Kaiba wore jeans? They were tight, hugging his slim hips tightly but what threw her was his shoes.

"Who wears shoes in the house?"

"I do."

"You're so screwed up."

"Said the girl lying on her employer's kitchen floor." Was Seto's response, a small smirk had made its way onto his face, small and self-satisfied, but it was enough to shock Ali. She only stared up at the brunette, scowling even as he bent slightly offering her a hand to help her up.

"No, I think I'm just going lay here." She repeated, swatting the well-boned hand away.

"It'll only be worse if you don't move." The brunette stated, grabbing the girls wrist and yanking her up from the floor.

"Ahh…" Ali hissed in pain, immediately grasping Seto's shoulders for support. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you." She murmured, quietly, of course the close proximity of her mouth to the CEO's ear didn't keep the words form being heard.

He lead her to the counter, turning her to face away from him and letting her slouch, resting her elbows on the cold marble surface.

"I'm going to check for bruising." He warned, not wanting her to freak out when he touched her, like she usually did.

"Have fun." Ali spat. She was still surprised at the sudden change in the brunette's character. Why was helping her? She felt his fingers lift the hem of the 'Black Snake Moan' t-shirt she was wearing, careful not to let his hands actually touch her skin.

The CEO's eyes widened when her lower back was revealed to him, happy that the blonde was facing away from him so she couldn't see the momentary surprise. Her back was covered in bruises and teeth marks swollen into her pink skin.

"Does the mutt bite?" he asked sarcastically.

"Hah! Yeah right, no Joey is unusually affectionate. He doesn't see sex as an animal act; he sees it as an expression of feeling." She explained slowly, resting her forehead on the counter. "That was all Mikhail."

"Hm." Seto grunted, continuing to study the extent of the bruising. "Sounds like what most women like."

He registered Ali shrugging beneath him. "I'm not most women."

"No, you're not—I'm still debating 'woman'."

Ali blinked, turning to face the CEO who had finally let her shirt drop back down. "Was that a joke?"

"Am I laughing?"

"You never laugh, douche bag."

The brunette shrugged , leaving the Russian teen propped up against the counter and moving to the massive stainless steel refrigerator, opening the freezer compartment and yanking out an icepack. Quickly, he wrapped it in a clean tea-towel and handed it to her.

"Can't you just give me pills?" she whined.

Seto shook his head. "I checked your criminal record, I'm not giving you drugs."

Brown eyes flared with anger and ignoring the sharp pain, she pulled herself up to her full height, tilting her head up to stare at the CEO. "What?" she hissed angrily.

Disregarding her anger Seto only met her glare. "Six incidents regarding possession, cocaine mostly. As well as attempting to drive a stolen car into a transformer station… you know you would have died, had the police not caught you?" he asked, smoothly. When he had requested information on her brother he had also found her criminal record, which held many mysterious incidents. As for Lancifer, there wasn't much information about him aside from that he didn't share Ali's last name, but the last name of their father.

"You're a real jerk, Kaiba." She said, usually when she used his last name it was an indication that she was genuinely angry with him. "Yes, I wasted a lot of my life doing drugs—I'm clean now. And yes, I am aware that I would have died, it was kinda the point."

That little revelation was unexpected, the CEO had assumed that the report had been inaccurate after all—no one would drive into a transformer station and expect to live, the explosion would kill anyone quickly. Why had she wanted to kill herself, she had only been thirteen at the time.

Thirteen… it had been her thirteenth birthday. She tried to kill herself on her birthday?

Her brother's birthday…

"Oh." Was all the brunette said, turning away from Ali. Why hadn't he understood it all in the beginning? The constant laughter, inability to stay faithful in a relationship, hatred of being touched in any way that implied being cared for… she was missing something.

She was half of a person, and the part to complete her was gone.

Obviously she understood his silence because she clutched her bag and began limping out of the kitchen. "Don't act like you're any less fucked up." She said as she passed the brunette, after a few minutes he heard the front door slam closed.

His blue eyes darted to the counter where she had been not too long ago.

What had she meant by that last statement? What did she think she knew?

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R&R  
KC.


	13. A Lesson In Romantics

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **13

**Title:** A Lesson In Romantics

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**Review Replies: **

**Arana— I always love your reviews! You really seem to get Ali, and what I'm trying to say. I figured out the main reason my story is lacking in readers – for no apparent reason, my story doesn't show up in the proper section, so few people know it exists… hm. I did change my summary, because I wasn't happy with it and have been planning on a change for a while. I was considering opening a new account considering that this one is old and has glitches (such as my story not being properly posted when updated), but I don't much see the point. I write for me, and anyone who happens to enjoy it (even when they don't review, regardless of the fact that they have me in their favorites and on their alert list…) is just extra lime in the guacamole—yum. Looking forward to your reviews!**

**Someone— This story isn't going anywhere, don't fret. In fact, I'm already planning out a sequel. I'm glad you love Ali, sometimes I don't love her that much… haha. But when she's doing something that I frown upon, I only remind myself that it's all a part of her character. Hopefully she'll have an epiphany. Please continue to review, it means a lot!**

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Ali sighed, feeling the cool air caressing her loose blonde hair. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and she was in a beautiful mood. In her hand she clutched a folder filled with the first batch of hours that she had spent tutoring Mokuba, all she needed to do was fax them to the W.C University and make sure that she got on their alumni list.

She was ever regretful of having dropped out of high school—and then lying about it to Mrs. Gillis to get the temporary volunteer position at McWilliams' High. The blonde knew that Seto must think that she had graduated as well, seeing as he never brought it up, and a lack of high school education was something the CEO would bring up.

Unless, of course he had discovered the information during his little background check on her. The eighteen-year-old frowned lightly remembering how he had mentioned his new-found knowledge of her criminal record the night before. It was extremely irritating not to know how much about her he knew. Turning down the next corner she shook the worry from her mind.

It was a beautiful December day, she was feeling particularly refreshed from her good nights sleep (and the advice Seto had given her about putting ice on her back—though she wouldn't admit that), and she was ready to give a shot at getting accepted into the school of her dreams, the hard way.

Ali grinned, yes the day was good. She spotted Yugi's game shop in front of her, she had been there a few times with Joey, and his friends had taken a liking to her, even though she wasn't too fond of Tristan and Tea. She figured she would be able to use their fax machine, and then maybe take herself out for a nice breakfast at a quaint little diner where she could work on the song she and Mokuba had begun the night before.

"Today is going to rock." She smiled to herself as she pulled open the door of the Game Shop.

Immediately she was blinded by an unnaturally bright light, she stumbled over her unlaced boots and fell to the ground, screaming. "OH GOD! MY RETNAS!" her papers fell and her chilled hands moved to cover her eyes.

"Ali—you alright, there?" she recognized Joey's voice and once the light died she saw him hovering over, his eyes looking just as foggy as her own, apparently he had been caught off-guard by the light as well.

"What the fuck!? I'm blind! I'M FUCKING BLIND!" the girl screamed, she saw sparkles in her vision, dancing around her boyfriend's head. She wailed loudly catching her head in her hands, "NOOOOO!"

"Must you turn everything into a scene?"

That voice was a million degrees too cold to be Joey's, and her brown eyes searched the room for the face she knew would make itself seen and ruin her amazing day. Sure enough, standing behind Joey was Seto, dressed in a white suit and looking extremely aggravated. The blonde girl jumped up, Joey quickly followed and she noticed he was wearing what looked like a new version of a Duel Disk on his arm. As was Seto. And, upon closer inspection, Yugi.

"What 'er ya tryin' to do Kaiba, blind us?" the American boy asked angrily.

"Aren't dogs already half-blind?" the CEO retorted, once again that self-satisfied smirk appearing on his face, the way it always did when he insulted the boy. Ali felt a small pang of jealousy, whenever she argued with the CEO he never really acted any less than genuinely annoyed.

"Why you--" Joey started, positioning himself for a fight, but Ali quickly cut him off, stepping up from behind him.

"It's not his fault Puppy, I guess the lights in the room must have reflected off his over-bleached teeth." She smirked, using the pet name that she had developed from all of Seto's insults towards the boy.

Seto frowned, "Is there a reason you're here, Aldorina? Or are you just following me?"

"Funny, I show up in the same place as both you _and_ Joey, and you assume it's for you…" she paused to hold her hands around her neck as if she was choking "it's as if some large, non-tangible force is…crushing me…" she gasped "could it be—Seto's ego?"

Joey erupted in laughter, while Seto only stared not amused.

"Yeah, Kaiba she's _my_ girlfriend." Joey said, pulling the blonde closer to himself. Seto caught the slight flinch and the way she glared at Joey. He guessed she wasn't too fond of the term 'girlfriend'.

It made sense when the CEO thought about it. Ali didn't seem like she was a particularly beneficial part of the relationship.

"What are you doing here anyway?" she spat at Seto, gently pulling herself from her boyfriend's grip to stare into the brunette's blue eyes. "Last I checked you weren't Yugi's B-F-F."

"B-F-F?"

"It means… uh…" Ali started. "Well all the girls say it; I thought it had some kind of universal meaning."

"It means 'best friend forever'." Tea chimed, she and Tristan were in the corner of the shop, eating what looked like donuts.

"Of course it does." The blonde girl muttered. "But what are you doing?" she repeated her question to the CEO.

"I was having Yugi test out my newest version of my Duel Disk." He pointed at the device on his arm. "Obviously, as your helpful little scene pointed out, the holograms are too bright."

"I thought it was your teeth?" Ali said, in mock shock.

"No."

"So it was a glitch then?"

"Yes."

"You willingly admit to making a mistake?"

Seto rolled his eyes. "Yes."

Ali blinked. "That's creepy—never do it again."

"You never told _me_ what you are doing here." The brunette responded, ignoring her last comment.

"Oh! Right!" Ali suddenly remembered the reason she had risen so early (early being, before noon in her case… but it was only nine so that was exceptionally productive). She bent to gather the papers that had fallen to the floor, luckily they were still in the same basic order that she had arranged them in the night before. "Yugi, can I use your fax machine?"

"Uhm, sure." The small boy answered, Ali loved his quiet nature, she found it adorable. But now and then when he was just around a few friends he tended to get really talkative, and sometimes she found his eternally-optimistic attitude annoying. "It's in the corner there." He pointed.

The blonde girl grinned, stepping towards it and leaving the three boys to continue with their testing of Seto's Duel Disk. She noticed that he had somehow managed to get the lights turned down to a bearable brightness. Gleefully she lifted the first of many papers she needed to send off, but halted staring at the machine.

"Er… guys?" she turned back to the three boys, deliberately ignoring Tristan and Tea in the corner. "What do I do to make it go?"

Judging by their silence, Joey and Yugi didn't know what to do either, because Seto was the one who eventually stepped forward, blue eyes rolling in the process. He snatched the paper from her hand and inserted it into the machine, showing her which buttons to push along the way.

"You're not limping." He murmured to her, quietly enough that the others in the room wouldn't hear him over the conversation they were having about Joey's cards.

"Slept it off." She replied shortly, sliding the remainder of papers into the machine and watching as they scanned through one-by-one.

"Did you put ice on it, and take a shower?"

Ali's eyes flicked up to the CEO's. His eyes weren't filled with concern, nor was his voice… but there was something about him that made her think he actually cared.

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Why do you think?"

And that threw her off, her brown eyes narrowed as she looked up at the brunette.

Seto studied Ali, she looked confused which relieved him. Since the night before he had been worried that she might have known more than she should about his past, he expected that Mokuba might tell her a few things, but it was important that she not be aware of details. However, since she wasn't reacting the way he thought she would if she knew something… she obviously knew nothing.

"If Mikhail is going to be one of my lawyers, I can't have him backed by an assault charge." He lied, skillfully. Turning to join the mutt and the runt, he sighed inwardly.

The last thing he needed was Ali having even the faintest inkling as to what Gozaburo had put him through, or how many times he had nursed wounds much like what he had seen on her last night.

Ali watched his back for a few seconds, wondering what he had been going on about. Of course actually figuring anything out when it came to Seto, took lots of time and skill. She would have to wait a while before discovering what was behind it words. The blonde sighed, watching as Joey and Yugi dueled casually and Seto observed it all, writing down notes occasionally. For a moment she was awe-struck by the fact that the nineteen-year-old was capable of creating such revolutionary technology in the first place.

Then again, this was Seto Kaiba, revolutionary personified.

Ali blinked, had she really just given the brunette a compliment? Even in the smallest voice of her mind, it was an unusual feeling, quickly she shook it off. Darting to where Tea and Tristan were eating donuts, snatching one and taking a huge bite.

Nothing tames a girl's erratic thought patterns like deep-fried pastry.

"And Midol." Ali added out loud.

"What?" Tea inquired. It wasn't often that someone would just stand next to her and talk to themselves about female menstrual-pain pills.

Ali only laughed, waving the tall girl off as they watched Yugi and Joey duel, which had really just turned into laying random cards and Joey trying to prove that his strongest card could beat Yugi's. Once she had finished inhaling her donut the blonde moved to the front counter of the store and hoisted herself up on the glass top.

She ruffled through her bag and pulled out a tattered paperback book, the pages were worn from being read one too many times, but she flipped it open to a dog-eared page and began loosing herself in the words waiting for her faxing to be finished.

Seto had noticed Ali's movement and watched with mild interest as her eyes darted across the pages like she was a part of whatever adventure was happening. His squinted trying to make out the title of the book, _La Princesse de Clev_è_s_, Seto knew the story… it was one of the most tragic love stories in literature.

And it was French…

The eighteen-year-old girl seemed to know her languages pretty well, he had heard her blabber in several random languages before, but had never really considered that she knew more than swear words and insults. Joey noticed the CEO eyeing his girlfriend and stopped what he was doing.

"Why 're ya starin' at Ali?" he asked, obvious jealousy in his voice. Seto wondered momentarily if the boy got so irritated by another man looking, what he would do if he found about his girlfriend's liaison with her over-sea lawyer.

"Calm down mutt, even you could do better than _that_ train wreck." He answered casually.

Quickly the blonde boy charged him, pinning him against the wall in anger. "Wanna repeat that, moneybags?"

The room went quiet; Ali looked up from her book distracted by the odd silence. She rolled her eyes when she saw Joey struggling to keep Seto pinned while the brunette was barely attempting to escape his grasp.

"Joey, get off him before he uses your hair as a mop to wipe the floor with you." She sighed, hopping down from the counter annoyed at having her reading interrupted.

Joey spun around, shocked by his girlfriend's lack of support. "Wha—I was defendin' y'er honor! And Kaiba could never take me!" he shouted, angrily. Ali only continued walking towards the boy, tucking her book back into her bag.

Once she was close enough, she pulled the American down to her eye-level, drawing her lips close to his ear and murmuring something. Immediately the boy forgot the sudden betrayal, and his fight with the CEO and blushed lightly.

"I—er—'kay…" he stumbled on words, once Ali had stepped away from him, he continued testing the device on his arm, but his cheeks were flushed. Ali stood next to Seto grinning widely at the taller man.

"What did you say to him?" the CEO asked, not meeting her gaze.

Ali giggled lightly, and rested her eyes back to her dueling boyfriend. "I told him that you _could_ take him… but as long as he didn't allow that to happen, he could take _me_ later."

"That's not very subtle."

"I'm not a very subtle person." The Russian girl winked. "By the way what are you and Mokuba doing Christmas Eve?"

"The rate at which you can switch a conversation from your sex life, to my little brother is alarming." Seto said tonelessly.

"Oh, were we having a conversation? Funny… I didn't know we had those. Usually it just feels like we're talking _at_ each other until someone leaves."

"Why do you want to know my Christmas Eve plans?" the brunette asked to avoid further ranting from the blonde.

"I wanted to take you and Mokuba somewhere."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise."

Seto frowned, looking down at the girl. He wondered why she would even bother saying that—surely she had figured out that he didn't like surprises. That, and the last time she had 'surprised' him Mokuba had been up all night running around, and throwing up chocolate ice-cream all morning.

"Don't worry… it doesn't involve ice-cream." Ali said, rolling her eyes. It seemed that both Kaiba brothers needed constant reassurance that the ice-cream incident would not occur ever again.

"Fine."

She blinked, had Seto Kaiba just given her permission to take him and his younger brother to an undisclosed location for an undisclosed reason? She narrowed her eyes.

"You know, this could all be a part of a plot to murder you and your brother! How can you just agree to come with me, when you don't even know where I'm going to take you?!"

Seto rolled his eyes. "I'll risk it."

Sure, she did make a valid point, she was defiantly insane enough to concoct some sort of murderous scheme, but judging by the way she and Mokuba got along, she could never hurt him. And seeing as hurting Seto would hurt Mokuba, he doubted that she would do anything drastic to him either.

"You do have nice teeth, though."

The CEO was pulled out of his thoughts by the completely off-topic comment.

"What?"

"Your teeth, whether or not you bleach them. They're nice."

Seto only looked at the girl, keeping his face void of any emotion as he tried to figure out what she was actually trying to say. But her face was completely calm; apparently she had really just meant 'nice teeth'.

"I know." The brunette replied, he wasn't about to thank the girl. He rarely thanked anyone, even those who did him actual favours.

"Your welcome, Seto." She drawled stepping away from the brunette and back to where the fax machine had just beeped indicating it was finished processing.

--

"Oh! Do that again!" Ali grinned looking up from her notebook. Mokuba was next to her on the music room couch strumming away on his guitar, looking for an original tune for the song he and Ali were working on.

The blonde had insisted on coming over that Saturday seeing as Christmas was rapidly approaching, and they desperately needed to get the song done. Her morning with Seto and Joey's friends had ended with the CEO leaving and the rest of the teens going out for all-they-could-eat waffles.

Mokuba played the chord again, twisting his fingers in a way that let the note resonate before he continued playing.

"That's nice, remember it." She grinned returning to her writing; the lyrics had to be perfect if she was going to pull off the song. Otherwise it was more than likely that Seto would be unimpressed… if not angry.

"So…" Ali started, laying hr eyes on the clock, at was getting late, Mokuba would probably be sent to bed soon. "What's your brother's favorite colour?"

"Uhm… I don't think he has one." Mokuba said distracted as he continued to play the guitar.

"Oh… what about his favorite food?"

"He doesn't really like to eat, he likes water though, and… bread."

Ali rolled her eyes; the CEO couldn't be less inspiring. "What does he do in his spare time?"

"He doesn't get much, but… play chess."

"Chess?"

"Yeah, why?" Mokuba finally asked, looking up at the blonde.

"Because it's the most bring thing he could possible do, aside from just be himself."

"No, I mean why are you asking?"

"Oh…" Ali tilted her head thoughtfully. "I want the song to reflect him, somehow."

Mokuba smiled at the Russian girl, it was the first time that he had ever seen her try to do anything to please his brother. It was a nice change from her usual attempts to annoy the CEO.

"So, do you have any brothers or sisters?" Mokuba asked, setting his guitar down and deciding that he was done playing for the night. He noticed Ali's eyes darken sadly.

"No, not… anymore." She muttered avoiding the boy's gaze. She had assumed he would ask eventually, luckily she had grown close enough with the youngest Kaiba that she could actually talk about it all with him.

"Anymore? What… what happened?" the child scooted closer to her, cocking his head to the side.

"I had a twin brother—he died." Ali silently applauded herself, it was the first time she had been able to say the words. She had known for a long time… seven years, to be exact. When Lance had first gone missing something inside of her knew that he was still alive. She would have dreams about him being locked up, in pain, and dying of loneliness. Then one day the dreams stopped, and the small light of hope had gone out. She was eleven years old, and with no idea how to deal with the feelings she had, she had fallen into herself, barely half of the person that she once was. She never told her parents or anyone what she knew—they needed the hope, it was the small thing that was keeping her family alive.

Seven years of trying to deny the truth, and she had just stated it to Mokuba without a waver in her voice, without a tear in her eye. She just said it. And now it couldn't be denied anymore.

"T-that's, so sad…" Mokuba stuttered, without thinking he rested his hand on Ali's cheek, looking into her eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost Seto."

Ali stared into the young boy's stormy eyes, unadulterated emotion filtering through them. She wondered how he could be so open with his feelings, and secretly hoped he would never grow out of it. "You won't lose him." She smiled reassuringly, pulling the small boy into a hug.

"But what if I do… what then?"

She felt Mokuba's words against her chest and wondered if the thought of losing his brother was one that Mokuba dwelled on often. Gently she pushed the child back, meeting his watery eyes. "Then what? Then you go on. Then you live your life."

She sighed, wishing that she had a better ability to comfort people; it had never been her strong suit.

"Is that what you did? You just moved on?"

"No, I did a lot of other stupid things instead. So trust me when I say this—everyone loses something at one point in their life. And every single person has to choose to move on, or die." Ali said, her voice was low and she wondered why she was still talking to the boy. She shouldn't be polluting his innocence with this stuff—he was too young to think about death.

Then again, when she was twelve years old she had been institutionalized for trying to kill herself.

"So what did you choose?"

Ali blinked what had she chosen? If she had gotten to choose for herself she wouldn't be talking to Mokuba, she wouldn't be Japan… she would be neatly buried in the ground. Had she ever really chosen? No.

"I'm here aren't I, what do you think?" she smiled. Mokuba returned the grin.

"I'm glad you're here." He said quickly, nuzzling his face in her neck and again the scent of gardenias filled her nostrils. It was the perfect scent for innocence, she noted.

"Well, you should get off to bed kiddo!" Ali declared, standing up. "You need your beauty sleep, after all. Like I said—you don't want to end up looking like your brother."

Mokuba laughed lightly. "I don't think I'd mind it."

"You're delusional."

"You're the only one who doesn't think he looks good."

Ali snorted. "Well if you look like him, you'll never find someone like me to love you!"

"But you already love me, right?" Mokuba asked putting on his most adorable face.

Ali rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mokuba. I love you." She drawled.

"Even if I do look like Seto one day, you'll still love me?"

"I'll love you; I just might not look at you much."

Mokuba laughed. "'Night 'Li."

"'Night Mokie." Ali kissed him quickly on the forehead before the child ran out of the room, hugging Seto goodnight as he left.

Wait, Seto?

Ali's eyes snapped back to where the brunette was leaning against the doorframe. His blue eyes studying her with the calculating expression she had come to know.

"You better not have been eavesdropping." She said a slight warning in her voice.

"And what makes you think I'd be so desperate to hear what you have to say?"

Ali faltered. "Hey! No fair, _you're _the one with the ego. Not me!"

Angrily she stood up, gathering her papers and stuffing them into her black bag, hoisting it up on her shoulder, she was halfway out the doorway when she stopped. She was standing next to the brunette, though they were facing opposite directions, unable to see each other.

"What did _you_ choose?" she asked softly, she had a feeling that the CEO had heard the better part of her conversation with his younger brother.

After a moment of silence Seto responded. "I'm here aren't I, What do you think?" he repeated her words from earlier, confirming her suspicion.

"Seto?"

"Hm?"

She still wasn't facing him, her eyes set straight ahead on the hallway. "You made sure Mokuba was everything you never got a chance to be, didn't you?"

She took the brunette's silence as an affirmation. Nodding to herself she prepared to take another step forward. "It's hard, not to destroy everything… the way you have been destroyed. You did a good job." She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

As she stepped into the hall her ears registered the sound of Seto's voice, it was hushed but firm.

"C'est la vie." (1)

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(1) – Obviously Seto has discovered that she speaks French, so the phrase has a bit more meaning. It's French. "That's life." Is what we would say in English. (As for why she has a vast knowledge of language—you will know it due time.)

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Ahh! Done. I'm finally opening up a few more parts of this story, and I have plans for it that will aggravate and fascinate you all. Review for me, pretties.

Love, love, love!  
KC.


	14. Divine Infekt

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **14

**Title:** Divine Infekt

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**Note: **This chapter is dedicated to Arana. Even though she'll hate it because of what Ali is doing to Joey.

**EDIT:** So this chapter was written and ready to go, but I feel like I need to say something in regard to an event that went down last night. Or, this morning I suppose, would be more appropriate. Two boys my age were walking home from a party (a party that I didn't attend because I had to work in the morning) at five o'clock this morning. They were hit by a drunk driver, one died on the scene and the other this afternoon at the hospital. I knew them, though we were more aquaintences than friends because I didn't get along with either very well. Nevertheless, when I got the call that this had happened (in the middle of my shift) it made me realize my own mortality, and how bad things don't only happen to strangers, or fictional characters that I make up.My best friend from childhood (we did grow apart over the years) is battling leukemia right now, and things are looking hard for her. If it's not too much to ask for all my readers to send out some positive-vibes into the world, everyone could use a little more happiness. Every good deed you do multiplies tenfold. I'm getting a tad emotional here, it's been a rough day. I wish you all to have happy endings, and never spend more than a moment in sadness.**

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"OH MY GOD JOEY WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

"Brake-brake-brake-brake!"

A loud screech filled the street, and aside from a few angry drivers who were hollering death threats from their vehicles, they were safe. Ali's fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were stark-white against her pink hands, her brown eyes had been snapped shut ever since the transport had cut them off.

It only took her a few moments before she regained her composure and spun her head to meet her eyes angrily with Joey's. He was sitting in the passenger seat of the white Civic.

"Do you believe me _now_?!" she shouted. "I told you, I _told_ you that I can't drive! But _NO_ you had to go and… and blatantly disregard my obvious hatred of driv—MMPH!"

She was swiftly cut of by her boyfriend's lips on her own. Her eyes widened at the horribly timed contact. It seemed to be the blonde's solution for every problem he had with Ali, she would screech, he would kiss her.

Finally breaking from the gentle kiss, the blonde's eyes fluttered open and he grinned at Ali. "I think I love you."

The Russian girl was frozen, in her head she was chanting a desperate mantra oh 'crap-crap-crap'. It was bad enough that he had forced her to drive his ugly car, when she had firmly insisted that she didn't want to. Then they were almost killed in a would-be horrible accident, and now he was telling her that he loved her! After a _month_, a month that was filled with dinners, sex and laughter, nothing worth falling in love over.

"I—I… erm… I love… Mokuba."

The grin dissipated from Joey's face quickly. "Huh?"

"Mokuba! I'm supposed to be with Mokuba." She lied, in truth she hadn't planned to visit the Kaiba mansion until two o'clock that afternoon. It was Sunday, and just like the day before she insisted on spending extra time with the child to finish their song.

"I thought you weren't gonna go see Mokuba 'til two?" the puppy questioned, his honey eyes glancing at the dashboard clock. "You still have an hour."

"Did I say two? No, I meant one." The girl lied, the cars passing the parked civic making her even more tense.

"Alright…" Joey sighed, he opened the door to take over the drivers seat while Ali scooted over to the passenger's within the car. "Are ya feelin' okay?" he asked once he had started to drive down the road.

"Oh yeah. I'm great, just a little stressed from all the extra work."

"Maybe ya should get moneybags to give ya some time off. Not everyone has to work like he does."

"He's just making a life for himself." Ali replied nonchalantly.

Joey's eyes left the road and stared at his girlfriend in horror. "Did you just defend Kaiba?"

The girl faltered, she had, hadn't she… after their conversation (if you could call it that) the night before she had warmed up a little to the icy CEO. Much to her annoyance.

"No." she snapped. "He just doesn't have a life, so he's trying to make it look like he does." She said, deciding that it was more important to defend herself than Seto.

"Oh, right."

"Joey?"

"Huh?"

Ali stared at the blonde boy, taking in his perfectly golden skin, full-bodied hair, and the well toned arms that were revealed by his t-shirt. She sighed, she might not love him, but love was overrated. "If you park behind this building I'll let you take me in the back seat."

"T-that's Kaiba Corp.…" Joey stuttered.

As smoothly as she could, the Russian teen leaned over and nipped lightly at his earlobe. "I know." She muttered in the lowest voice she could manage. Immediately Joey pulled his car into the back parking lot of the huge sky-scraper.

Ali smirked.

Testosterone. A girl's best friend.

A good twenty minutes later the blonde stormed through the automatic doors of Kaiba Corp. she knew that her hair was a mess and her skin was probably still a little dewy from her rendezvous with Joey, but she didn't care. All she could focus on was the flood of messy emotions that clouded her mind.

One lie. One simple, easy, completely innocent lie.

A lie that she hadn't been able to tell.

Ali stepped into the elevator smashing the button for the top floor, ignoring the stares from several obviously flustered employees as she did so.

How many times had she told a man that she loved him regardless of whether or not it was true? How many times had she felt completely guilt-free about lying? More than she could count.

And yet lying to Joey was something she felt unable to do. Why?

Ali frowned, considering the fact that she had lost her touch. She did love Joey. She loved his unruly blonde hair, she loved the tribal tattoo on his abdomen, and she loved his hands on her.

She just didn't love _him_.

Angrily she shot through the doors when the lift finally stopped, not bothering to talk to the secretary (who she noted was not the same one she had seen on her last visit) she stepped quickly through the halls. There were several shouts from behind her, and she was sure someone was shouting at her, probably security. In response, the blonde only quickened her pace, her waist-length black coat fluttering slightly as she moved.

Finally she came to the door marked with a gold plate that read "Seto Kaiba, CEO" without a thought she threw open the door crossed the room until she was opposite where he sat at his desk.

The brunette had looked up from his work at the sudden disturbance; Ali was storming towards him, her eyes so dark they were almost black. Immediately he noticed her flushed cheeks and swollen lips, he was about to frown at her appearance but her small hands slammed onto his desk and she was staring into his eyes, somehow only inches away.

"I love you." She said, her voice was completely calm.

Seto was suddenly thankful for the security he kept around, lest he be caught speechless. The bodyguard who had grabbed Ali from behind looked extremely fearful as she twisted in his grasp, attempting to get free.

"We apologize, Mr. Kaiba—this one wormed though. We'll have her thrown out."

"Oh do _not_ test me you meat-headed bastard! I am a woman! A _wo_man!"

Seto stared at the blonde girl, she looked terribly angry, and clearly out of her mind. For a moment he internally debated whether or not to simply allow the men to remove her from the building. However, if it got back to Mokuba that he had done such a thing the boy would surely give him the silent treatment for weeks, and having his little brother mad at him wasn't something the CEO was fond of.

"Let her go." He ordered, immediately wondering if having Mokuba ignore him was as bad as what he was about to endure. The man released Ali and the three who had followed her left with him.

Completely un-fazed the Russian began cursing in every language she knew, and some that she had surely just made up.

"This doesn't make sense! I'm so fucked up! _I am so fucked up_!"

"If you simply came to tell me that you are mentally unfit, I already knew that." Seto said, standing from his desk to approach the fiery blonde.

She completely ignored him and continued to shout. "I mean I can tell _you_ that I love you! And that's such an obvious lie!"

"Ali."

"Maybe I should just commit myself… that makes sense. Why not, hell I could use a visit back to my old friends!"

"Aldorina."

It seemed she wasn't even hearing him, rambling on about things that made no sense whatsoever. "It's just the puppy-eyes! I know it! I'm just scared of the pupp--"

She was cut off as Seto grabbed her shoulders so roughly she was sure it would bruise. She was whirled around until she was staring up at a rather annoyed CEO. His blue eyes stared it her as if she had just come from Mars and landed squarely in his office.

"I don't actually love you." She stated, suddenly calming down and ignoring the searing pain his hands were causing her shoulders.

"I figured as much. What are you doing?" he released her, having finally removed her from her fit.

"I don't love Joey."

"Who could?" Seto snorted.

"No, you don't get it! I couldn't tell him that I do!"

"But, you just said that you don't."

"Oh come on Seto, you of all people must know that saying something doesn't validate its truth, but constitutes not believing it."

Seto faltered, though he made sure she could see that. Had the psychotic woman just said something that… made sense? Maybe he was giving her too much credit, but with the way she had spoken to him the night before, and now this… was it possible that she contained some small bit of intelligence?

She frowned, dropping herself to the loveseat in his office. "The scary thing is that, I think, maybe… I didn't want to lie to him. I actually felt bad! I _feel_ bad…" she sighed burying her face in her hands. Calmly the brunette took his seat behind the desk, but didn't continue his work.

"What happened?" he asked. Quickly Seto reminded himself that if she talked about her problem she would shut up afterwards and not bother him with them any longer. He just wanted to quiet her. He didn't actually care.

Lifting her head from her hands, she looked out the huge window, the curtains were pulled today allowing the warm winter sun to trickle in. "I'm not sure what happened. He told me he loved me… and then I screwed him in your parking lot."

"You _what_?" Seto hissed, instantly disgusted by the image of the two most irritating people he knew doing anything sexual within a mild of him.

"I screwed in him yo--"

"I heard you. Why was that necessary?" the blue-eyes teen snapped, that would explain her swollen lips and the light sweat that tinged her skin. The messy hair was nothing new… but he assumed this time it was from something other than neglect.

"Because, he told me he loved me. Then I told him I loved Mokuba."

"You are in love with my brother?" Seto's eyes widened momentarily before he could regain his composure.

"No you retard! Ew, that's…" she shuddered. "No, it was just the first thing that came to mind."

"You were having sex with the mutt and all you could think about was my twelve-year-old brother?" there was nothing about this conversation that didn't make Seto feel that the blonde should be locked up… far away.

"No! This was before… oh never mind, you're hopeless." She sighed looking back out the window. "Joey is like chocolate. I really like it, but I don't want to only eat chocolate… sometimes I want vanilla. I don't _love_ chocolate, _or_ vanilla… but I like having them around."

"I take it that Mikhail is vanilla?" Seto asked, trying desperately to make sense of her obscure food references.

"Exactly! I mean, chocolate is really great and I always love a good chocolate bar. But sometimes I just really like some warm, creamy--"

"Keep it PG, Shvakova."

Ali laughed lightly; sometimes the CEO would say something that was funny, regardless of how indirect it was.

"But do you get any of this?"

"Yes. You have commitment issues. Thank you for the update."

Ali's jaw dropped and she stared at the brunette who met her gaze with a bored look. "_You're_ talking to _me_ about issues?!" she shouted, standing up angrily and raising her fingers to her ear as if talking on some kind of imaginary telephone. "Hello, kettle? This is the pot. You're black."

"I'm committed to this company, I'm committed to Mokuba--"

"Oh yes, you are just chalked full of commitment, Seto. What about your trust issues? Oh and the sick need to be in control of everything?"

Seto's eyes shot daggers at the Russian blonde; he immediately wished that he had allowed the bodyguards to throw her out. She didn't know him; she didn't have any idea who he was.

Except… apparently she _did_.

"You have no right to talk to me like that."

"Yes I do. You're a human, I'm a human. Flesh, blood and opinions." She countered.

"Well keep your opinions to yourself. They are not facts."

Ali sighed loudly, she stepped towards Seto. "Take me to your place. I told Joey to drop me here, because I didn't want to be near him anymore. Of course, he thinks that Mokuba is going to be here already."

"I'll call my driver."

"No, can you just take me?" she asked softly. Seto only looked at her calculatingly.

"You smell like the mutt—I don't want you stinking up my car."

"Deal with it."

Knowing that the girl would persist until she got her way, Seto only sighed and grabbed his car keys from the drawer of his desk.

--

"I can't believe you got Seto home early! Even on a weekend, I'm the only one who can get him to leave the office early and he's always mad about it." Mokuba spoke in a hushed voice.

"Who says he's not mad? I saw him grab the phonebook… if I mysteriously die soon, know that it was a hit man." Ali replied stuffing a piece of a chocolate chip muffin into her mouth.

"I don't think Seto would kill you. He knows how much you _love_ me."

Immediately the blonde choked on her muffin. "He… he told you about that?!"

Mokuba broke into a fit of giggles. "All he said was 'Watch out she's in love with you.'"

"That… bastard! I told him those things in confidence!"

"You're actually in love with me?" the raven-haired boy asked crinkling up his nose. "Gross."

"Yes. I'm in love with you! Give me a kiss!" Ali shouted playfully, she grasped at the child who jumped down from the kitchen table where they were snacking and began to run. "You can't escape me, I _love _you Mokie!"

She chased him around the house, both of them laughing hysterically, until Ali threw her hands up and collapsed on the floor. "I'm too much of a smoker to do this." She panted.

Mokuba only giggled and plopped down next to her, leaning against the wall in the hallway. Once the Russian girl had regulated her breathing she looked around the hall, she remembered it as the one where Mokuba's room was, when she and Seto had decorated for his birthday.

"Ohh… pretty." She said childishly when she spotted a vase of white roses sitting on a small stand at the end of the hall.

Mokuba giggled, again. "When me and Seto moved in, I got lost a lot. So he got this idea to put a different flower in ever hall so I would remember where I was. That was a few years ago, but there's still white roses in this hall, I think he keeps putting them there because he wants to remind me that he cares, even when he's gone."

Ali stared at the younger child with wide eyes. "That's really… unlike Seto."

"No it's not." Mokuba insisted shaking his head. "He just doesn't show that side of him very often."

"Well it's sweet, and creepy…"

"Just like you."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not times infinity!" Ali declared triumphantly.

"Are too times infinity… _squared_." Mokuba said cheekily. Immediately the blonde damned Seto for having raised such an intelligent kid. It was pretty impressive, actually. Even with the help of her parents and multiple counselors Ali hadn't turned out nearly half as well, she frowned at the thought.

"What are you thinking about?" the storm-eyed child asked thoughtfully.

"Your piano. Let's go word on that song. Our deadline is approaching… with a dangerous quickness." She muttered the last part too quietly for Mokuba to hear.

The truth was - she hadn't yet decided what to write for lyrics. She couldn't find anything about the elder Kaiba that created a decent amount of passion which she could channel into a song. A meaningful song, at that.

"I thought we were using the guitar?" Mokuba asked.

"Acoustic guitar and piano. It'll be nice."

"How are we going to give it to him? I can't sing and… you can't sing that well either." He said, Ali was about to pounce on him for degrading her singing abilities, but upon second thought she decided that it was true enough.

"Don't worry, I have it all worked out, you just worry about the music."

"'Kay." Mokuba agreed, hopping up from the floor and helping Ali up after him. Quickly the two headed off to the music room.

--

Seto's fingers shot across his keyboard quickly, writing this letter was the high-point of his day. The CEO of some faltering American company had been trying to pair up with Kaiba Corporation on a recent project; Seto had seen the man in multiple meetings and strung him along fully. Now he was emailing the stupid man to let him know that the partnership wouldn't work out. Leaving out the fact that he had never really intended on accepting the offer.

"Seto?" the door of his study opened slowly and Ali poked her head in dramatically. The brunette looked at the time, it was eleven… Mokuba had gone to bed two hours ago. Why was she still here?

"Hm?" he responded, eyes staying focused on the email.

"Want some popcorn?"

"No."

"Oh…" she stepped in the room, her feet padding over the floor softly.

"Can I help you?" he snapped after a few moments of feeling her staring at him. His blue eyes looked her over, she looked completely exhausted. Her eyes were glassy, her shoulders were hunched, and she looked likely to pass out at any given moment.

"Yeah, I want some popcorn."

"Then go make it."

"I don't know how to work your microwave…"

Seto rolled his eyes, he was surprised she had discovered the secret to his door bell… not that she ever bothered with using it. Extremely annoyed at having his fun interrupted, the brunette stood up, stalking out of the room. He registered Ali following him, until they reached the kitchen.

It seemed like she had actually tried to use the microwave, the bowl of un-popped kernels was already inside it, and…

"What did you do?" Seto asked looking at the expensive appliance, the screen was lit up and blinking random numbers.

"I have… bad luck with stuff that… plugs in." she sighed pulling herself up on the counter.

"Well what did you press?" the brunette was leaning down slightly trying to discover what she had done.

"Uh… well I pressed cook…"

"And then…" he prompted.

"All the buttons were making different sounds and I tried to play a song." She blurted. "I broke your microwave."

Seto rolled his eyes, yes the girl had her moments of slight intelligence, but it seemed that the blonde hair stereotype fit. He pushed a few buttons quickly before the machine quit blinking.

"You have girly hands." Ali pointed out once he pulled away from the microwave. His blue eyes glared daggers.

"What?"

She hopped off the counter, looking slightly less tired than she had a few minutes ago, quickly she snatched one of his hands and held it close to her face, inspecting it. "Your hands are girly."

"That's ridiculous." He snapped yanking out of her grasp and turning back to set the microwave. For a few minutes both teens stood in silence listening to the loud popping noises. But since it was apparent that Ali was unable to remain quiet for any extensive period of time she eventually broke it.

"Are you right-handed or left-handed? Sometimes you do things with your right hand, but sometimes you do things with the other one."

"Why are you so fixated on my hands?"

"I asked first."

Seto frowned, "I'm ambidextrous." He expected her to falter at the word, but instead she only looked impressed.

"So you're just as good with both…" she stated quietly. "Women must like that?"

"I thought I 'didn't know anything about good sex'?" Seto retorted, remembering the conversation they had had the month before.

He watched Ali bite her bottom lip in the same way she often did when she was thinking. Judging by the state of her lips, she thought a lot.

Not that he noticed things like that.

She opened her mouth, looking like she was about to say something thoughtful, but was quickly interrupted by the loud beep signaling that the popcorn was finished.

"Yay!" she cheered. "Go get the honey!"

"You mean the butter?"

Ali shook her head. "Ew, no. Get the honey."

Seto cocked an eyebrow, but crossed the large kitchen to fetch the bottle of honey. He returned to her and watched in disgust as she drizzled the golden liquid all over the bowl of white popcorn. Once she had finished she held the bowl under the brunette's nose.

"I told you I didn't want any."

"Just try it; I used to do it when I was really little. It's yummy."

Seto let his curiosity get the better of him, he reached into the bowl pulling out a piece of the sticky snack and popped it into his mouth. Immediately he wished that he hadn't.

The combination of the starchy food mixed with the sticky, syrupy, sweet honey almost made him gag. He probably would have, had Ali not been staring at him.

Grudgingly he swallowed.

"That is revolting."

Ali pouted stuffing a handful into her mouth. "No 's not… 'is yum." She stated muffled by the food.

"Why are you still here?" Seto asked, suddenly realizing that he still didn't know why she was in his kitchen to begin with.

"I was doing stuff."

"You couldn't do 'stuff' at your own place?"

The blonde shook her head and quickly put more popcorn in her mouth. She stepped around Seto and left the kitchen, a few moments later he heard the TV in his living room. Frowning again, the brunette flicked off the kitchen light and stepped into the dark living room, save the light that the TV threw.

"What are you doing?" he hissed as soon as he registered what she was watching on his TV.

"Watching porn. You should probably lock these channels; Mokie might accidently see it one day. And I read somewhere that young children exposed to explicit sexuality leads to drug addiction."

"Is that your excuse?" the brunette snapped trying to snatch the remote from her sticky hands, she shoved it under a cushion, however.

"That's mean, Seto. I told you, I'm clean now."

"You had me fooled."

His eyes fixed on the screen where some thin, tiny-breasted woman was getting thoroughly screwed on a classroom desk. He was suddenly _extremely _thankful that Mokuba's bedroom was in an entirely different wing. The actress was loud.

"I slept with one of my high school teachers, but there was no annoying music in the background and we left the classroom."

Seto's attention was once again on Ali after her last statement. She was watching the television and looking slightly bored by the material. "What?"

She looked up at the CEO, he towered her even more since she was sitting on the couch, it strained her neck to look up so much.

"His name was Mr. …" she trailed off, "er… I forget. But he was really hot."

"And really _bad_ at his job!" Seto was even surprised by the amount of anger in his voice. But the thought of a teacher taking advantage of an under-age student, even one as messed up as Ali, infuriated him.

"Oh calm down, Sunshine. Technically, I seduced him…" her eyes glazed over in memory. "_Begged_, him would actually be more appropriate."

"It doesn't matter that statutory rape."

"I was sixteen! And believe me, it wasn't rape."

Seto was still shocked, though he didn't let it shine through. What kind of a childhood had she had? Surely her parents couldn't have let her run so wild…

"Did your parents find out?"

Ali laughed loudly. "Oh that would have been one hell of a conversation. No, my father would probably have murdered the man, and my mom…" she tilted her head in thought. "Well she had already given up on me by then, so I doubt she would have been surprised."

The brunette wasn't so surprised at hearing that her mother had 'given up', he could only imagine what raising the girl must have been like. Especially with all the criminal charges, and drugs…

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" she was back to being distracted by the TV, tilting her head to follow the couple's newest (not to mention extremely difficult looking) position.

"Have sex with your teacher."

"I liked being in control."

The answer was so simple, and yet behind it was a tangled mess of truths. She had realized at a young age that being beautiful wasn't the only way to get attention, and since she wasn't gorgeous, she immediately took advantage of her ability to manipulate men into doing what she wanted. She loved the power it gave her, it was the only thing she had power over in her life.

Finally Seto approached the huge TV and turned it off manually. "You should go home."

"What, did my little story arouse you?" Ali asked, smirking. Seto only rolled his eyes.

"No, if anything it made me want less to do with you. I'll call Frederic, he'll be waiting out front."

Ali stood up, licking the remainder of the sticky honey from her fingers. Maybe it was Seto's paranoia, but she seemed to be doing so in an almost suggestive manner. She stepped towards him, until she was quite close.

"Do you want me?" she asked lowly.

"Go home."

"You're right, my bad. That'd a third-date question." She pulled her fingers from her mouth, Seto's eye caught a thin string of saliva left dangling between her lips and fingers before she pulled away.

"Third date?" he asked, suddenly confused by her previous statement.

"Yeah, you know… after the first two."

"We're not dating."

"Why do you think I'm still here?" she asked suggestively. Seto rolled his eyes, again.

"Go home, Aldorina."

"Awe, what's wrong… worried you won't live up to Puppy?" she asked, her voice taunting him.

"Speaking of the mutt, it would be quite easy for me to let him know about you and Mikhail."

The Russian girl sighed throwing up her hands. "Fine, fine. I'm going." And with that she exited the room, and soon the sound of the front door closing signaled her disappearance.

Seto frowned in thought, if the mutt meant so little to her… why did it matter if he knew or not? Why was she hiding it from him to begin with? She had even flirted mildly with _Seto_ (although, he suspected that she had foreseen his rejection and was only playing), who knew what else she would do that could hurt her boyfriend. Or boy toy, Seto was unsure.

He shook the thoughts from his head.

The psychotic girl was beginning to require too much after-thought.

* * *

Until next time,  
KasumiCho.


	15. Tales Told By Dead Friends

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **15

**Title:** Tales Told By Dead Friends

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**NOTE: Sorry for the wait, no real excuse I just got caught up in reading a really good book.**

* * *

Ali shivered against the icy wind as she walked; it had probably been a bad idea to eat a grape popsicle whilst walking through the December weather. It had probably been a bad idea to decide to walk all the way to the Kaiba mansion on the out-skirts of town. It had probably been a bad idea to not call ahead of time, but between her bad ideas Ali was more concerned with someone else's bad idea.

Her landlord's, to be specific. The owner of the building had decided to croak that morning, and the new landlord wasted no time alerting all of the tenants that he would be evicting all renters. This left Ali with two options: she could buy her apartment, or she could find a new place to live.

The blonde kicked a chunk of ice across the road, angrily. She didn't have the money to purchase her apartment, and she sure as hell didn't have a back-up home. In thirty days if she hadn't figured out what to do, she'd be out in the street… again.

"Merry fucking Christmas…" she muttered. Glancing at her watch she shivered, it had taken her an hour to walk so far, but luckily she could see the iron gates of the Kaiba mansion looming ahead. Hugging her flimsy black coat around her body to sustain what warmth she could, Ali picked up her pace.

The wind was harsh, and she had been getting snow blown in her face since leaving her home. She knew Mokuba would be home, at the very least. The school had started the Christmas holiday that week, and with Christmas Eve in only two days she was glad to have Mokuba available whenever she needed him. It seemed that Seto had been getting more and more stressed out as the holiday approached, working in his home study and dropping by the office only when he had to. Ali noticed that when Mokuba was home Seto worked at his office as seldom as possible.

She approached the gates of the driveway, smirking as she studied the large silver 'K' that graced the front of the gates. She had never seen them up close, seeing as she was usually driven in and the gates were generally open. To her left she noticed a small camera, speaker box and a button. Hesitantly, she stepped towards it and pressed the button.

"Kaiba."

Ali chuckled, "Answering your own door bell? Did you let the slaves out for a break?"

"They're on holiday. What do you want?"

"Can you see me?" she asked looking to the camera.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"I'm fucking freezing."

"I can see that."

She assumed he was referring to the snow bank that had embedded itself into her hair, which had been tied up.

"Just let me in, douche bag."

There was a loud beep as the gates began to open, quickly Ali ran through them, excited to get into the warmth. Finally she reached the front door, not bothering to ring the bell but stepping inside.

Instantly she felt the snowflakes on her hair melt, it was so… _warm_. The blonde slid to the floor, throwing her snow-covered coat and boots aside and brushing the snow from her shoulder-bag, hoping nothing inside had been ruined.

"You look like hell, Shvakova." It was then that she noticed Seto must have been waiting for her to come in.

"At least it's only temporary." She hissed in response, rubbing her fingers together hoping she could create enough friction for warmth.

"There's a fire going in the living room." The brunette offered turning and implying that she should follow. She did, without argument.

Once she had curled up on the floor in front of the warm fire, and Seto had seated himself on the couch behind her with his laptop, they were silent. However, it didn't take long before one of them broke the quiet air. Surprisingly, this time… it was Seto.

"Mokuba is out for the day with a friend."

"Oh…" the Russian teen was tempted to simply shove her hands into the fire to absorb as much of the heat as she could. "I… sort of came to talk to you."

Obviously, the CEO hadn't expected her to say that because he immediately looked up from his laptop, narrowing his eyes with suspicion. "About what?"

Ali sighed loudly, avoiding the blue eyes watching her. "Okay, you know about money. I don't even know how to pay my own bills. So I was thinking you might… help me." Asking the bastard for help was the hardest thing she had done in a while. And spitting the words out felt like swallowing her own hand.

"And why would I want to do that?"

"Because… if you don't I may have to resort to prostitution."

"And that would make _what_ different?"

Ali growled lowly, getting anything but a taunt from the CEO was like pulling teeth. "It's kind of important." She spat, "But obviously you couldn't care less. So I'll just--"

"What do you need?"

The blonde blinked, mentally noting that his words had sounded almost… thoughtful. But the stoic look on his face suggested that she had imagined the caring in his voice.

"Can you help me like… invest some money. I sort of need to come up with fifteen grand by next month."

Seto looked doubtful. "Is this drug-related?"

Suddenly she looked extremely angry. It seemed that ever since learning about the mistakes of her past, he assumed she was still living them. "You know what, you asshole?! I would love _nothing_ more than to lay in bed with a strung-out bassist and split a bag of blow. But that's not what I'm doing, is it?" she yelled, standing and immediately missing the fire's warmth. "And who are you to criticize my past choices? What's with all those pills you keep around?!"

"Those are prescribed." He stated defensively.

"Yeah, and I know first hand the pills straight from the pharmacy are the best."

"You have no right to--"

"You know what, Seto? I'm so sick of all your condescending bullshit! You're so quick to criticize me, but take a look at your own life! What are you without money?!" she screamed; suddenly she had lost ever trace of what little sanity she had left. The CEO had challenged her to an argument on a bad day, and she was going to show him just how low she could go.

Seto looked thoughtful for a moment, before standing swiftly. He grabbed Ali's wrist roughly and began pulling her towards the stair case.

Needless to say, the Russian was shocked and confused by his actions as he dragged her up the stairs. His grip was like iron and she was entirely sure that she'd be icing her wrist later that night. Up the stairs, through a few halls and…

"Why are you taking me to your bedroom?" she asked quickly as they approached the door. Wordlessly he threw it open. Immediately Ali's brown eyes widened in horror. "S-Seto?"

Again the brunette was completely silent, by now the blonde girl had concocted a series of horrifying scenarios. He was going to kill her, wasn't he? She had finally pushed too far and crossed the line and now he was going to murder her and get away with it. He could afford to buy his way out of jail.

She was going to die.

Seto dragged her into the bathroom, throwing open his medicine cabinet and shoving her towards it. Angrily he pulled out one bottle after another, yelling the names of the drugs at her. After a few moments Ali's mind began working and following him.

Sedatives…

Antidepressants…

Sleeping pills…

Non-narcotic pain medicine…

Her eyes focused only on the CEO, he looked so angry. Naming the drugs and replacing them back on the shelves. Before she had control over her thoughts she had impulsively reached her arms up and wrapped them lightly around his chest.

That stopped him. For a moment they only stood, neither knowing what to do. Ali breathed in the cool scent of sandalwood, she wanted to pull away, but was too afraid of the repercussions of her actions. Seto was the first to step back, releasing himself from the light grip Ali had on him.

"Why?"

It was the only word spoken; it had escaped the blonde's mouth before she thought it over. But it said everything she had been wondering about Seto for some time. What she wanted to do was yell and hit him for being so broken. She wanted to pull his hair and force him to take off the mask that seemed to hide everything he was underneath.

If there really was anything.

Instead of answering he only shook his head and closed the medicine cabinet with a click, muffling the unusual display of anger and trying his best to return to the emotionless CEO he was usually known as. He began to walk away from the confused Russian but she tried to speak again.

"You can't talk to anyone, can you?" she asked sadly. "Between the people that would sell everything you say to the papers, and Mokuba – who can't know what you're dealing with… you haven't really got anyone."

There was truth in the words she spoke, but Seto didn't want her to know that. "I don't need to talk."

"What happened to you?" she whispered. "Tell me, I'll understand. I know how much life hurts, I do…"

"Your pain is different than mine."

"Is it? Is loss really different for anyone?"

"I don't need your psychoanalyzing." The CEO stated as he left the washroom, after a soft sigh Ali followed him. They walked down the stairs in silence, brown eyes on the floor and blue eyes defiantly staring ahead.

Once they reached the lower floor Ali spoke again. "I'm getting evicted."

"Didn't you pay your rent?"

"I did…" she sighed. "But the building is going co-op, so all the renters are out."

Seto looked at her calculatingly before turning away from her and walking towards his study. It was then that Ali noticed how casually (if you could call it that) he was dressed. The brunette was wearing a black turtleneck and a pair of tight-fitting blue jeans. After seeing him in black jeans once before, she was less surprised by the material, but the colour was so… casual. Seeing the billionaire in blue jeans made her question certain life lessons.

The Russian sighed, and made her way to the living room where she plopped down on the couch and fished the book she was reading out of her bag. After shifting into a more comfortable position she started to read, it only took a few moments before she realized that Seto's laptop was still on the coffee table, open.

Listening to make sure he wasn't approaching Ali tossed her book aside and stared intently at the computer. She had never really used computers for anything besides typing resumes. Her brown eyes flitted over the screen, it looked like he had been typing up some sort of report, she snorted and mumbled about how boring he was.

It was then that she noticed another window open; using the touch-pad she enlarged it and looked it over. Grinning widely she realized that it was the CEO's personal email. Quickly she began looking through it, there wasn't anything particularly interesting… random emails from employees and other businesspeople. Ali sighed, wondering if she would ever find out anything incriminating about the icy brunette, just as she was about she noticed an old email…

'_Sender: Mikhail Sonnath  
Subject:_ _The Girl'_

Frowning the blonde opened it and began reading, immediately feeling her cheeks flush with anger.

' _Mr. Kaiba—_

_It has come to my attention that my dear Aldorina has been tutoring your younger brother for some time. I will warn you now not to let the boy get attached to her; she will be leaving Japan soon._

_Sincerely,  
Mikhail Sonnath'_

Ali narrowed her eyes, what was that supposed to mean? She wasn't leaving Japan _anytime_ soon, especially not with her knew friendship with the youngest Kaiba. Angrily she realized that Seto had already read the email, which had been sent about two days earlier. Why hadn't he spoken to her about it? Surely he knew that if she planned on leaving she would tell him.

Quickly, she rose from the couch and began to approach Seto's study. She wasn't so surprised by the fact that Mikhail had done something so ridiculous, he often tried to sabotage pieces of her life, and her relationships. The man was too egotistical to _really_ accept the idea of 'sharing' whether or not he actually wanted Ali all to himself.

No, what had put her off was Seto's compliance. He hadn't informed her of the email. Thoughts began to swirl in the Russian's head, she wondered if he believed Mikhail, and had spoken to Mokuba?

The study's doors were opened and Seto was standing near the large window, his Blackberry at his ear and he conversed with someone on the other line.

"You bastard!" Ali yelled, in the hopes of getting his attention. He looked at her and said something else into the phone before hanging it up and turning to face the girl fully.

"You are conspiring against me!" she exclaimed, wondering if there would ever be a time when she could get along with the CEO, not that she wanted to… he was just a condescending asshole.

"Really." Was the brunette's uninterested reply as he moved towards his desk and scribbled something on a piece of paper.

"Yes! I was just looking through your emails and--"

"You were doing _what_?"

Ali blinked. "Yeah, I probably shouldn't have admitted that…" she mumbled looking to the floor.

"If you're talking about the email from your fuck toy…"

The girl's eyes widened and they snapped back to Seto, "Did you just say… fuck toy?"

"That's what he is, ne?"

"I… yes… but, you said 'fuck toy'!"

Seto rolled his eyes and continued. "I assume that you won't be leaving Japan any time soon, since you have expressed concern about not having a place to live."

"Seto?"

"Yes?"

"For the love of all that is deep-fried… talk to me like I'm a fucking human, and not on of your android clients." She said coolly, moving to stand closer to the brunette.

"Are you leaving Japan?" he asked simply.

"Not that I know of, no."

"Then it appears we have solved this problem."

Ali looked to the CEO, wondering immediately how he could act so calm all the time… well, aside from the extremely unexpected outburst earlier… maybe it was the sedatives. She watched as Seto lifted his white trench coat from the hanger near the door and draped it over his lithe frame, turning back to his desk and grasping his car keys from one of the drawers.

"Come with me." He demanded, stepping from the room, Ali was confused but followed him anyway. She threw her own coat on when they reached the door after she had grabbed her bag and book from the living room.

"Uh, where are we going?" she asked once they had stepped into Seto's silver car and the heat was turned up to warm both chilled teens.

"I called my realtor and she told me that there is an apartment near here that went on the market this morning."

For the millionth time that day Ali found herself shocked and confused. Seto was driving her to a for sale apartment _near_ his house? There was no way she would be able to afford anything in the neighborhood!

"Why are you--" she started, only to be cut off by the driving CEO.

"Can you not remain quiet for five minutes?"

"I can so!" Ali huffed, all questions forgotten when the sudden challenge presented itself. She would show him that she could be just as silent as him. She wouldn't talk to him for five minutes, no… she wouldn't talk to him-or even acknowledge his existence-for the rest of the day!

Thirty second later she thought she would die of boredom. "Hey Seto, what has twenty-one fingers, blue hair and smells like potatoes?"

There was a moment of silence and Ali swore that she could her the gears turning under that finely-combed mop of brunette hair.

"What?" he asked finally giving up.

"A zebra."

"That doesn't make even the slightest bit of sense."

"Well maybe if you put it under a black light, and squint your eyes after dropping acid…" Ali pondered, now completely distracted from the fact that she was being driven to an unknown location by someone who she was sure would kill her eventually.

Casually the blonde leaned forward and flicked on the radio, she expected the CEO to object or flick it back off, but to her surprise he simply ignored the music. So she sat back in her seat, pulling her legs up and leaning her head against the cool window losing herself in the music drifting to her ears.

Seto watched from the corner of his eyes as Ali sat comfortably, bobbing her head in rhythm with the music playing through his speaker system. She was watching the buildings pass by outside, and seemed so contented by it all. He smirked to himself almost invisibly, looking back at the snow-covered road.

Five minutes of driving and they had arrived at their destination. The blonde jerked up and looked out of the window a huge building was looming in front of where Seto had parked the car, she couldn't help it… her jaw dropped.

"Uhm Seto…?"

"Hn?"

"This isn't an apartment building… these are condos."

The brunette ignored her and stepped out the car, a woman in her mid-forties immediately rushed to his side. She was wearing a brown coat of fur and her frizzy carrot-coloured hair had been pulled into a bun on top of her round head.

"Mr. Kaiba, hello." She said politely nodding in Ali's direction when she too came out of the car.

"Hello Cynthia, thank you for being available on such short notice." He quipped allowing the woman to lead him through the front doors of the building.

"Oh nonsense, I'm always available for _you_." Cynthia replied in a slightly flirtatious tone. Ali crinkled her nose in disgust. Seto was only nineteen, sure he was about as lively as a seventy-year-old, but that still didn't make it right for old women to hit on him. It looked like he was used to it though, because he simply nodded.

"This just went on the market." The red-head explained leading the younger two into an elevator, Ali entered last still looking around at the lobby which was beautifully decorated. "The previous owner is moving to America to get married, he was a sweet young man."

As Cynthia continued to speak Ali leaned forward and jabbed Seto in the shoulder. He glared over his shoulder at her.

"This is a bit out of my price range, don't ya think?" she whispered. The CEO ignored her, listening intently to the realtor.

They exited on the eighth of twelve floors, Ali and Seto were led down the hall to the very last door, which was quickly opened for them and they were ushered in. Immediately Ali's jaw dropped.

The condo was gorgeous, even in its empty state; the walls were painted a stark white color. Ali stared around in awe as they were led into the kitchen… black counter tops, and there were appliances placed around the room. A silver dishwasher, a white refrigerator, even a small black toaster and matching microwave, a white stove sat on one of the walls between counters.

"In here is the living room…" Cynthia explained pulling the two to a large empty room, one of the walls was taken up by a huge bay window. "It looks plain now, but when furnished, it makes a nice little space."

"_Little_?" Ali squeaked. Sure, the entire apartment was probably the size of Seto's game room… but it was far bigger and more elegant than where she was living. The realtor ignored her and only continued to show the condo.

The bedroom was huge and lit beautifully by sunlight alone, it had an adjoining bathroom with a Balmoral bathtub and shower. Ali was sure that she would lose consciousness. Only Seto would take her to such a lovely place simply to flaunt that he had more money and she would never be able to afford such an amazing place.

"So what did you think, Mr. Kaiba?" Cynthia asked once she had shown the condo. "The asking price is four-hundred-fifty-thousand, since the previous owner is eager for it to sell. Though, I doubt it will stay so cheap for long."

"_Cheap_?" Ali squeaked, again. She wondered how the woman would describe her current living conditions if she saw them.

Soon Seto's blue eyes were on her and Ali didn't know why he was looking at her.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you like it."

"Well… of _course_ I like it, you moron. Have you seen _my_ place?" she spat. "Very nice, now I know what I will _never_ have. Can we leave?"

Surprisingly the CEO pulled her to a nearby corner, where the realtor couldn't overhear them.

"Why are you showing me this place?"

"It would be more convenient to have you living close by, so that my driver wouldn't need to pick you up so often." Seto said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, yeah… but I'm not as rich as you are, believe it or not. Some of us have less than a gazillion dollars in our bank accounts."

"If I buy it, you can stay here."

Ali looked at the CEO for a moment before shaking her head. "Not a chance in hell, Seto."

Seto was surprised; he had expected her to appreciate the gesture. Most women would adore such an effort; however… she wasn't most women. Of course.

"Is there a problem with the apartment?" he asked.

"No! It's… it's amazing!" she exclaimed leaning her head against the wall behind her. "But I'm not doing that whole… you own it, I live here, thing. It's dumb. When people do that they're just screaming for something bad to happen."

"You would be paying me back."

This caught Ali's attention. "I would?"

"Of course. For starters—no more weekly pay. Also, if I ever need assistance with anything—paperwork and the like, you will help. The place will be put in your name, and you will pay it off to me."

The Russian pondered over the idea, it made sense… and it was so nice. How could she refuse?

"Why are you being nice?"

"If you leave the country Mokuba will sulk for months."

"So why not just buy the apartment I have now? It's a _lot_ less expensive." Ali questioned.

Seto snorted, "As I already stated, it is more convenient to have you close by, especially since you will be working for me. And, Aldorina--"

"_Ali_."

"Ali, if it was found out that I was purchasing an apartment in _that_ area. The press would have a field day."

She would have argued with him about the area she lived in, but there was something about the way he said her name, and the uncharacteristically nice thing he was doing for her, that caused her to shut her mouth instead.

"I'll take it." The CEO stated turning back the suddenly ecstatic redhead. Ali trailed behind him, she felt weird about accepting such a _huge_ gift (if you could call it a gift) from anyone, especially someone who had been screaming at her less than an hour ago. But who was she to argue, really?

"Excellent, I'll draw the papers up and you can sign them in the lobby! You and your girlfriend are free to look around some more. I'll be waiting downstairs."

"No!" the blonde yelped, suddenly. "I mean…" she stared when the older two were staring at her, "we aren't a '_we'_. You know, he's just helping me out. I'm going to be paying him back."

"Right." Cynthia smirked leaving the apartment.

"She thinks I'm a prostitute…" Ali grumbled once she was alone with the brunette.

"Aren't you?"

"Even if I was, Seto, I'd never get with you."

"I wouldn't need you to."

Ali laughed. "It would make sense, though… I mean sex is power, and money is power… so getting money for sex is really just and exchange of power." She pointed out thoughtfully.

"Are you _planning_ on becoming a prostitute?"

"In your dreams."

"Nightmares." Seto corrected her.

Ali only rolled her eyes and smacked him in the arm, before opening the door. "So this is going to be my new home?" she asked, suddenly extremely excited by the idea.

"Yes."

She turned and looked around at the condo. "Bye-bye Snooky!"

"Snooky?"

"That's its name."

"You named… your apartment…"

"Oh shut up Seto, don't act like you don't have a name for your home." She bit and spun out of the apartment, yelling something over her shoulder about racing him to the lobby. He ignored her and stepped slowly out of the condo.

"Don't get me a Christmas present." Ali said, once they were both in the elevator.

"I had no intention of doing so."

Ali smirked, looking down to the floor. So the cold-hearted bastard had done something actually _nice_ for once in his life. And it just so _happened_ her that he was nice to.

That didn't mean she would treat him any less like a rich asshole. No, Seto Kaiba was still a major pain in her ass.

… Just one that she didn't so much mind anymore.

* * *

**Review replies-**

**follow-the-light-review: **Thanks! I'm glad Ali makes you laugh. Looking forward to hearing from you more!

**Arana: **You are actually dead on about something, Mai does play a key roll in this story... eventually. It's no where near being over, and chances are there will be a sequel before I wrap it all up. In my head, the story is actually written in two parts. Thanks for all your support, and good luck with everything. By the way, I'm looking forward to an update of Foreigner. But I remember how much of a pain in the ass exams are. Having to cram for like four exams all at once is insane... I'm so glad I'm homeschooled now. After taking grade nine in actual high school I knew it wasn't for me.

**sdcoli727:** I'm SO glad you like it! I'm sure there are typos and grammar errors floating around still, one day I will go back and perfect everything, but for now I just want to keep all my readers happy and that means posting updates... often. Heehee. I really enjoyed your review! And I do look forward to hearing from you again.

**Shadowess 88: **SWEET! Free cookies are the best kind! I'm glad you enjoy how I'm using music as a part of the story. It takes a lot not to let music take over the story completely, but I've had a lot of musical education and I was worried that if I got too intense with talking about music that readers would get lost. Hopefully I've found a happy meduim. Hope to hear from you again!

R&R

KC


	16. Fairytale Photobooth Friendships

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **16

**Title:** Fairytale Photobooth Friendships

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**As always, thank you to all reviewers. Your words of encouragement keep me smiling.**

* * *

"_Okay Lance, I'm gonna count to thirty! You better hide or I'll get'cha an' win!"_

"_Maybe we shouldn't be playing here, Ali… mom and dad said to stay in the yard…"_

"_Don't be so chicken Lance, 'sides… our yard is borin' there's no trees an' stuff to hide in."_

"_Let's just go play at home. We can play a different game."_

"_You're not the boss of me! You're only older by a few minutes, an' you're not that much bigger."_

"'_Kay, you count. I'll go hide…"_

"Wake up Aldorina."

"_Mom, why are you crying? When is Lance comin' home, I miss him."_

"Aldorina…"

"_Where did Lance go, Daddy? I think he's in trouble…"_

"Shvakova, get out of bed."

"… someone's hurtin' him…"

Ali felt an unfamiliar pressure on her shoulders, suddenly the consuming dreams began to vanish from her mind like dew evaporating from grass under sunlight. Slowly she cracked an eye open, there was no sun flooding through her bedroom. In fact she felt cold, a cold that had nothing to do with the faulty heating in her apartment. The cold pierced into her in a way so much more than physically.

Resonating from piercing blue eyes.

Blue eyes?

The blonde screamed, throwing herself up from the mattress she was lying on. Immediately she felt the cracking pain that is only caused by one human skull against another. The blanket tangled between her legs causing her to stumble in her attempt to stand and fall back on something boney and warm.

"What the _hell_?!" it wasn't a yell, more like a hiss. Desperately the Russian tried to blink away the starbursts that were flashing through her eyes from the impact. The voice, blue eyes… it all seemed so familiar, but in her exhausted state she wasn't able to sort out what she should be figuring out.

Eventually pieces of the events began to fall into place. _Fall_… she fell on…

"S-Seto?"

Finally her vision cleared enough that she could see what was going on. She was sprawled across the chest of a certain brunette CEO, and he didn't look happy. Immediately he threw her off of him and stood from the undressed mattress, brushing off his coat.

He eyes Ali as she stared around confused, she was tangled in a light green woolen blanket and her hair was as tangled as ever. She was wearing black boxer-shorts and a white wife-beater, her bottom lip was bleeding, apparently lip-chewing was a habit that carried into her unconscious state.

Finally her dazed brown eyes rested on him, her eyebrows folded in confusion.

"What're you… doin'?" she murmured, it was clear that she was waking up… slowly.

"I came to get you; the movers will be here in half-an-hour to collect your belongings."

"Wass'it… who? What time is it?" she glanced her bedroom window, the world outside was dark, the sun was peeking over the horizon.

"It's six o'clock." He decided to be a bit more lenient with the girl; she seemed extremely troubled with his appearance in her bedroom.

If you could call it that. There really wasn't a _bed_ just a plain white mattress lying on the floor in the middle of discarded clothes, papers, and empty cigarette packs. He frowned in thought of her words when he had tried to awaken her. _'…someone's hurtin' him…'_ what had she meant? _Who _had she meant?

After a few moments she shook her head lightly. "Your head is hard."

"Hn."

She stood from the mattress, stumbling sleepily across the room and grabbed a black hoodie, pulling it over her torso she shivered and pulled her arms close, hugging herself. Seto watched as she did so, it was the first time he had seen her so confused and fragile looking.

He decided that it didn't suit her.

"Here." He grunted tossing her a pair of tattered blue jeans that had been draped over an aluminum chair. She caught them yanking off the underwear she was wearing and searching for a clean pair.

Naturally Seto looked away while she looked around… pants-less. It occurred to him that she had no real modesty, maybe it was because she tended to use her body as more of a toy than a personal belonging. Eventually he heard the sound of a zipper and looked back to the blonde who had just finished doing up her jeans.

It seemed she was more awake, because she was staring at him with enough rage to paralyze a small child.

"So… you can just barge in to my home, now?" she seethed, grabbing a hairbrush from the chair where her jeans had been and dragging it through the rat's nest on her head. It looked painful, but she wasn't wincing.

"I didn't barge in."

"I keep the door locked!"

"I found the spare key."

Ali's jaw dropped, "But… how? I hid it so well!"

"It seems to me that the 'fake rock' only works when the fake rock is among _other_ rocks. It's pretty obvious when you keep a plastic rock outside your door."

"Oh… damn. I guess I'll have to fix that."

"The new apartment building has doormen, and they will let you lose your key and have proof of ownership." The CEO pointed out. Suddenly Ali's brown eyes brightened.

"Oh that's right! You bought me a condo!" she paused. "Wait… I'm moving out _today_?"

Seto nodded.

"Oh… but I have thirty days… and half the furniture in here isn't even mine, it just came with the place."

"What do you own?"

"My… instruments and uh… the mattress."

Seto rolled his eyes, he should have figured that the Russian had little to her name.

"Then I will instruct the movers to pack up the instruments."

Ali nodded, leaning to her closet and yanking out a small worn backpack. "I'm just going to toss a few things in here, before they get here." She murmured before yawning.

"They will pack your things." Seto objected.

"Alright, I just have a few things I don't like people touching."

The brunette's eyes followed Ali across the room, she had a side table next to the mattress, off of which she grabbed a black leather-bound book that looked something like a photo album. She grabbed her small stack of Duel Monster's cards off the top of her dresser and placed a rubber band around them to hold them in place and tossed them in the bag too.

The blonde pushed past Seto and into her living room and grabbed a few sheets of paper off the coffee table, she was completely silent, which the CEO found mildly unnerving. After tossing a few more items which appeared completely worthless to Seto, the blonde slung the bag over her shoulder and opened her apartment door to enter the hallway.

Seto frowned; she was so… not herself. Where were the snide remarks? She hadn't even stopped to ask him where he was taking her. Instead she trudged ahead of him down the hall. Once they reached the staircase Seto was surprised to see Samara climbing up the stairs.

"Ali!" the navy-haired girl exclaimed, her tangerine eyes widening in surprise. She was clutching a silver purse and looked as though she had spent the night out.

"Hey Sam, what'chya doing?"

"I-I… uhm…" the bluenette faltered looking from Ali to Seto and then to the floor. Ali leaned against the railing while she waited for the normally sophisticated college student to regain her composure. "What are you two up to?" she questioned after a moment.

"I dunno… Seto was in my room and then he kicked me out and now we're going away."

"Honey, have you had your coffee yet?"

"Mmm… coffee…"

Samara smirked, taking Ali's hand and pulling her back into the hallway. "Why don't you two come in and I'll make you some coffee, I doubt Ali will survive much longer without it."

Ali didn't protest, and although Seto wanted to, he only followed the two girls across the hall and into Samara's apartment. It was almost the same as Ali's place, only _much_ cleaner and the furniture looked newer.

Sighing, the Russian collapsed onto the blue couch in the living room while Samara made her way to the kitchen and switched on the coffee maker. "You can sit down too, Kaiba." She smiled once she returned to the living room. Seto did sit down, next to Ali, wondering how someone so polite could possibly befriend the train wrecked blonde.

"So, Li-Li you heard about the new landlord, right?"

"_Da_." Ali muttered, her eyes closed as she leaned against the arm of the couch. Seto glanced her way when she responded, she must be tired, she didn't even seem to know what language she was speaking in. (1)

"What are you going to be doing about finding a place to live? Your parents are still in America, will you be flying back?"

Ali shook her head, her eyes still closed. Seto decided that he preferred her completely exhausted, if only for the silence it brought over her usually quick-to-speak mouth.

"I see…" Samara was obviously put off by her friend's lack of communication. It seemed as though she was hoping to steer the conversation in any direction but near herself. Finally the coffee maker beeped to indicate it was finished and the bluenette practically jumped back to the kitchen.

"Do you take anything in your coffee, Kaiba?"

"No."

A few moments later she returned with two steaming mugs and placed them on the coffee table in front of both teens on the couch. Immediately after smelling the strong scent of the liquid Ali lifted it to her mouth, blowing on it cautiously before taking tiny sips.

"Is there enough sugar? I put in as much as the glass would hold." She asked once Ali began drinking from her mug.

"'is good…" the blonde murmured in response.

"So…" the accounting student seemed like her life depended on keeping the conversation as alive as it could be, "I didn't know you two were together."

Finally Ali gave a reaction that made sense for her. She choked on her coffee, causing some of the hot liquid to run down her chin, she quickly wiped it up with the sleeve of her shirt. "Never, in my life!" she yelled still coughing lightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I just saw you two leaving the apartment so early and thought--"

"You thought wrong."

Samara sighed; obviously she was used to the blonde's behavior. Ali grabbed her cigarettes from her bag and immediately lit one.

"I wish you would quit smoking, Li-Li…"

The blonde ignored the comment and took a few giant gulps from her coffee, finishing the mug. Seto was quietly sipping on his own drink while observing the two women.

"So, what are you going to be doing?" Ali asked, almost wide awake now, "I mean, where will you be staying?"

"Uhm… I sort of wanted to talk to you about that… Tailem offered me a place, with him."

The Russian girl stared into Samara's tangerine eyes with interest. "Right, you two have been dating."

"H-How did you know?!"

Ali smirked, "You know, the walls are paper thin… _mmm Tai'… ahh--_"

"Alright, alright I get it." The bluenette hissed, glancing embarrassed in Seto's direction. The CEO acted as though he hadn't heard the blonde's mocking moans. "But it's more appropriate than what we all hear coming from _your_ apartment most nights."

"Oh shut up, you're just jealous."

"But are you okay with that, Li-Li?"

"You and Tailem? Why wouldn't I be?"

"He is your friend, and I just wanted to make sure you don't have any feelings for him. I mean, you two are so close and I know he liked you… _romantically_… for a really long time."

Ali chuckled lowly, "It's _me_, Sam… when have I ever cared about someone in _that_ way, really?"

"Right…" Samara looked saddened by the statement, "I just thought maybe you had changed."

"Weather changes—people don't." Ali explained tossing an ash into her empty coffee mug. Samara watched as she did so, obviously not appreciating the gesture.

"Where are _you_ going to be staying?" the orange-eyed student asked curiously.

"Oh, Seto bought me a condo."

Apparently the navy-haired girl was shocked by this, because her jaw dropped and her eyes widened to the size of sand-dollars. "Oh…"

"Yup."

"Maybe you _have_ changed. The Aldorina I know would never let a man do that for her."

"I'm paying him back."

"In the bedroom?" she questioned; Ali scowled at the idea.

"No, dumbass with _work_."

Finally having enough of their ludicrous conversation, Seto stood from the couch and glanced at his watch. "We have to leave now, I need to be in the office in seventeen minutes."

Ali cocked an eyebrow. "That's a tad specific, seeing as you _own_ the company I doubt you'll get in trouble for showing up a bit late."

His icy blue eyes suggested that he didn't want to argue with the blonde, so she dropped the butt of her cigarette into the mug and stood. "Thanks Sammy and good luck with Tailem. Pull his hair a little harder for me." She winked turning to follow Seto out of the apartment. Once they were outside the blonde dove into Seto's passenger seat to escape the cold December air.

"Are we still on for tomorrow night?" she asked once the brunette had begun driving.

"I suppose so."

The blonde grinned widely and turned to stare out the window, only last night had she finally finished the lyrics, and she was particularly happy with them. Christmas Eve was only one night away now. As she watched the buildings pass she felt a sharp pain her stomach.

"You better feed me, Seto." She demanded, the CEO looked at her but didn't say anything, she sighed, getting the glacial teen to say _anything_ was like pulling teeth. Bored by the silence she leaned forward and yanked open the glove compartment.

"What are you doing?"

"Snoopin'."

"Don't touch my things."

His words fell on deaf ears as Ali ruffled through the papers neatly piled into the compartment, there was nothing interesting, until…

"Is this you?" she questioned pulling a picture that had been under all the papers. A young Seto stood next to an older male, whose hand was firmly placed on the boy's shoulder.

Glancing at it quickly the brunette nodded.

"You were adopted by Gozaburo Kaiba… I never knew that…"

"You know of him?"

"I read his biography when I was thirteen."

Seto was surprised by this fact; he knew that there were several books about the man, but why any thirteen-year-old would be interested in reading one was beyond him. He was ripped form his thoughts when he realized Ali's dark brown eyes were fixed on him.

"You're not like him." She stated, the brunette faltered. She was the only one who had ever said that, many people observed that he was 'so much like his step father' or 'another young Kaiba' but Ali didn't seem to think so.

"Why do you say that?"

"When I read that book, about him… he just seemed so… evil." She mumbled. "You're a giant icy asshole, but you treat Mokuba so well. I doubt Gozaburo even knew what that kind of love was…" she shook her head. "Well why does it matter what I think—you grew up with him, you know these things for yourself."

Seto remained quieted, but was struck by her words. Why was she being so… calm? Rational? He was disturbed by the change in behavior, but them again after waking up from a nightmare like she must have been having, it made sense that she wasn't her usual self.

She was already screaming when he entered her apartment and then words she had mumbled to him when he tried to awake her. Someone's hurting him…

Who had she been talking about? Her brother, perhaps? He was torn, again from his thoughts, but this time it had nothing to do with Ali.

There was a sudden lurch from behind and although Seto tried to steer out of it he felt his car being shoved from the highway into a ditch. Ali was screaming loudly and it was then that he realized she didn't have her seatbelt on; reflexively he grabbed for her shoulders and pulled her head into his lap to secure her in some way.

For a few moments all was silent before they heard some people screaming above them someone saying something about calling 911. Seto stared down at Ali, her fingers were clutching at the leg of his black pants and he could feel her shaking.

"Aldorina, are you--"

"You fucking bastard! Is it so fucking hard to watch where you're going?! Or did you just want me dead that badly!?" she was screaming, she had pulled herself up and all the blood seemed to have drained from her face. "You _knew_ I was afraid of cars, and you did that just to make me more afraid!"

Seto frowned, she had never mentioned her fear of cars… only the fact that she hated to drive. It took a moment before he registered that she was trying to shove the door open, to no avail the car had hit a tree and it was blocking her door.

"It wasn't me." He said coldly, he was ready to exit the car from his side when he realized she was muffling back sobs, his eyes rested on her shaking shoulders and he watched as a tear rolled from her chin to the leg of her pants.

"Are you really that afraid?" the brunette wondered if he should have tried a bit harder to comfort her, but this was Ali, he couldn't believe that the one thing to really shake her up was a small car accident.

"I don't like cars." She muttered sniffing loudly and wiping her face with the sleeves of her sweater, she wouldn't turn to face the CEO. Not even when she felt his cold hand rest on her shoulder.

"Here." He said opening his door and pulling her over her seat to exit behind him. They were knee deep in snow, about six feet below the level of the highway. Seto took a few steps forward before stopping when he realized Ali was still standing, staring absently at the ground. "Are you coming?"

"I'm… I--" she broke off looking at the CEO with a sudden look of extreme sickness. Immediately the brunette stepped back towards her.

"Shvakova, what are you…" he trailed off when she suddenly fell placed her hands on her knees and bent over, emptying the contents of her stomach into the snow. Before he had thought it over, he was behind her holding her hair from her face and trying not to have his own stomach turn at the sounds of her retching.

Above them several people stood, hollering down asking them if they were okay. A few were beginning to recognize who he was and shouting his name. Ali soon quit being sick, she hadn't eating much at all that day, which meant she would probably be extremely light-headed because of her diabetes.

"Are you done?" he asked. Ali shivered, not from the cold outside but because of his voice; even when he was asking her if she was alright he managed to make it sound icy and uncaring. She nodded, pulling herself up.

After steadying herself she allowed Seto to take her by the shoulder and lead her through the snow, helping her as they climbed out of the ditch. Once they were back to the road he left her side to call his driver. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Ali being pulled from the crowd by a police officer.

Once he hung up he followed her to the police cruiser, she was leaning against the hood of the car talking to two men in uniform.

"Ah, Mr. Kaiba." One of the men said warmly, turning to him. "Are you alright?"

"Fine."

"Your friend doesn't know what happened, did you hit ice?"

The CEO looked back at his car, the back bumper wasn't dented, which meant that he probably had hit a patch of ice and spun, and he nodded, mentally cursing himself for not having paid enough attention to the road. "Call a tow, we're fine. Come on Ali, Frederic will be here shortly."

The second cop spoke quickly, "Actually, Mr. Kaiba I'd like to have a quick word with you."

Nodding curtly he allowed the older man to pull him away from the blonde and the other officer. "What are you doing with Aldorina Shvakova?" he asked outright.

"She is my employee."

Apparently the man was stunned by this revelation, "Really? She has been in to our station many times. I just wanted to warn you, she has a court date coming up next month."

"I fail to see how this is relevant to--"

"She was charged with attempted kidnapping last year during, during your Battle City tournament."

Now it was Seto's turn to be stunned, it didn't make sense. Why would Ali be charged with attempted kidnapping? Why would she try to kidnap someone when her own brother had been lost because of it? How was it that this information hadn't showed up on the records of hers that he had read?

"I just thought I'd warn you, I know how much you value your brother's safety."

"I appreciate it officer." He said coldly, motioning for Ali to follow him to where his driver had just pulled up next to him.

--

"Ali, are you alright?!" Joey yelled the second she stepped through the game shop with Seto. Within seconds he was at her side looking her over before pulling her into a bone crushing embrace.

"I'm fine, puppy." She said, though her words were muffled into his chest. Quickly she pulled herself away. "How did you find out?"

"It was on the news." Yugi chimed coming into the front room. "Everyone is in my living room, come on." He ushered Seto and Ali (who was still being held onto by the Brooklyn blonde) in to his cozy home behind the game shop.

As promised, Tristan and Tea were seated on the couch watching television and eating potato chips, Mokuba was with them. The young boy was the reason they had stopped at the shop that afternoon.

After spending two hours trying to explain to Ali how to successfully boot up and log onto a computer, the CEO had decided that she was entirely useless when it came to technology and had her assisting his secretary. Judging by the woman's face when she left for her lunch break Ali hadn't been much help at all.

"Ali! Seto!" the boy yelled jumping from his spot on the couch and rushing towards them.

"Hey kiddo!" the Russian girl smiled pulling away from Joey and letting Mokuba wrap his arms around her stomach.

"I'm glad your okay." He sighed.

"Your brother can't get rid of me _that_ easily." She joked, Seto found himself mildly intrigued by her ability to make light of something that had her in tears that morning.

Mokuba only laughed, pulling her down to eye-level so he could whisper something in her ear. Ali grinned at the child and nodded happily, causing the raven-haired boy to smile widely and turn to hug his brother. The CEO watched the exchange and his mind wandered back to the policeman's warning, he wondered if Mokuba was really safe with the girl.

Ali threw her coat off and fell into an arm chair, propping her legs up over one of the arms and watching the television where they were still talking about the minor accident.

"Jesus Seto, can you even walk to the store without the freakin' newscasters doing a segment on it?" she asked sarcastically, inwardly she was beyond relieved that no one had videotaped the accident, or her panic attack resulting in the CEO holding back her hair as she vomited in the snow.

"That's Moneybags for 'ya." Joey chirped, seating himself on the other arm of the chair and pulling her head into his lap, weaving her loose hair between his fingers. "So did 'da bastard have you slavin' away all mornin'?"

Ali shrugged, "Nah, it wasn't so bad. I kept his secretary busy…" there was something ion her voice that more-than-implied she had been unkind to the poor woman. Joey only smirked and continued to toy with her thin blonde hair.

"Well I think it must have been a good bonding expierence." Tea sighed, popping a chip into her mouth.

"Me being Seto's newest asset?"

Seto rolled his eyes, she had been referring to herself as an 'asset' all day, apparently she didn't realize that technically he had no real use for her at all.

"No, the accident. I know that Kaiba can afford a new car, but you two must have been scared. After going through something like that, you two will always be closer."

Ali glanced towards the beautiful girl, "Uhm… no… but thanks." Her eyes fell on the CEO who was still standing in the doorway with Mokuba at his side. It didn't seem that they would ever be closer to each other, like the Earth and Sun the needed to keep a safe distance if both wanted to stay safe.

Joey only laughed lightly leaning down to place a gentle kiss on his girlfriend's forehead. Seto wondered if he was the only one noticed that the more the mutt touched her, the more she tensed up. Finally she pulled herself off the chair.

"Actually, I'm going to go with Seto. I should probably get back to my place and clean up everything the movers left behind." She said quickly, ignoring the completely crestfallen look the American boy was sending her way. Obviously her boyfriend had heard about Seto purchasing the condo, and he didn't seem happy about it.

"'Kay, see 'ya later then." He muttered, sending a mild glare towards the CEO before looking towards the TV. The rest of them exchanged hasty goodbyes and Ali left with the Kaiba brothers.

She glanced over her shoulder when she felt Joey's eyes on her back, he was looking at her with an unknown emotion in his honey eyes and Ali had the sudden feeling that, perhaps, she should break it off before she caused hurt to shine through in the beautiful eyes. It would never work, at least not at this point in her life.

Her thoughts were broken when Mokuba began chattering about a new game that was coming out and Ali taunted him, saying that she would beat him when it did come out. Eventually they decided to race to the car, leaving Seto behind and wondering endlessly what secrets the Russian was hiding.

--

(1) - _Da_ is the Russian word for yes. Crucial to the plot? No. Just explaining it.

* * *

TBC.  
KC


	17. Didn't Really Want the Pity

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **17

**Title:** Didn't Really Want the Pity

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**NOTE: God, I'm so so so sorry about the wait! It's been like a week! But my little sister graduated elementary school, so I was busy with that. When I did have spare time most of my effort went into writing my book (yeah, I'm writing a book—can you say 'nerdy'?), throw in work, a best friend's birthday, and the fact that I need to read for about three hours a day to survive… I had a busy week. Haha, I'm happy because I got lots of new subscribers! Yay! Not so many reviews though. Now, I know I sparked curiosity so… onward! **

* * *

"I shall defeat you, and it shall burn!"

Seto stared across the table at Ali; she had challenged him to a game of chess after eating lunch with the Kaiba brothers. Normally, the brunette would have been at work, but thanks to Mokuba's nagging he had decided to shut down the Kaiba Corp. building for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

"Set up your pieces." was his only response as he neatly organized his own chess pieces in the board. Mokuba was in the living room playing a video game, exhausted from the morning's events. Ali had shown up at the mansion early in the morning… with a tree.

The Russian had proceeded to insist that Seto help her put it up and then she and Mokuba decorated the whole thing. Normally they didn't bother with a Christmas tree (since Seto believed his brother was too old for the silly tradition). But, of course, Ali had forced it on them anyway.

"Uh… where does the castle thing go?"

"Corner." Seto replied, finishing his side of the board and watching as Ali struggled with her own. It was clear that she had never really played the game, but apparently Mokuba had mentioned to her that his brother was undefeated… so naturally she thought she'd challenge him.

"Okay… is this right?"

Blue eyes examined what she had done on the checkered game board; he reached a long hand over adjusting a few out of place pieces before nodding. "You can start."

The blonde lifted one of her black pawns and fumbled with it, looking around the board. "Where can this guy go?" she asked curiously.

"Pawns can advance one space at a time, except for their initial move when they can advance two spaces." He explained boredom evident in his voice. Ali's brown eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Can it go _here_?" she pointed at a space on the opposite side of the board.

The CEO sighed inaudibly, "No, Ali."

Shrugging, she only moved it a square from where it originally stood. Not one to bother with lessening ego wounds, Seto decided not to go easy on her (the sooner the game was over, the better) and moved his left night in to play.

Fifteen minutes later over half of the Russian's pieces were missing and her face was reddened in concentration. "I hate this fucking game…" she growled looking up at Seto.

He chose to ignore her vulgar words, pushing his pawn forward and capturing her bishop. "Check."

"Check what?" her eyes darted down to the bored as if he had asked her to look at something in particular.

"_Check_ means that you must move your king away from my piece or I will take him…"

"Oh… okay, uhm… can he go here?" she pointed childishly.

"Yes." As he said it, she quickly moved her piece.

"So where are you taking Mokuba and I tonight?"

"Out."

He moved another piece and watched Ali's face, her freckles had become more defined on her pale winter skin. He noticed that they made her look even more childish than she already did on her own. "Out where?"

"Come on _Sunshine_ just let it be a surprise."

Seto frowned, 'Sunshine'? He suddenly that his name had a shortened version that could suffice as a nickname… _Sunshine_ was just ridiculous. He supposed Ali thought it to be funny, since she was grinning at the obvious irony.

Or maybe she was grinning at something else…

His blue eyes shot down and he noticed that he was suddenly missing his king. "Did you take my king?" he asked, though the answer was obvious.

"You weren't paying attention." She accused.

"Because you called me _Sunshine_." He retorted, he didn't like being caught off-guard. "Put my king back."

"Nuh-uh!" she whined, "I assassinated him!" she smiled widely… proudly.

"You can't assassinate pieces."

"Why not? It's more realistic that way."

"I'm not going to play with you if you can't follow the rules." He said icily, she tended to irritate him.

Ali's smile softened into a more… real one, and her head tilted to the side. "I just got a glimpse of what you were like as a five-year-old." She smiled.

"What?"

"You 'won't play with me if I don't follow the rules', you just sounded really young."

"You know what I meant." He was even more annoyed when she started saying things like that.

"Sorry, geeze…" she pouted, putting her pieces back into the box, giving up on the one-sided game. "I just didn't know Seto Kaiba had a cute side."

Suddenly the air was filled with loud, obnoxious music. Seto's head snapped up and Ali rooted around in her bag until she pulled out her cell phone. Flipping it open to stop the flood of the loud music. Most likely some American band he was unfamiliar with.

"Hey." She quipped, carelessly throwing the remainder of her pieces into the box. "Oh, hi… I didn't think you would call me back."

The CEO listened in, placing his own pieces in the box, after glancing up and noticing that her face looked a little upset as she listened to who was on the other line.

"It's okay, I wasn't expecting them to…" she admitted sadly. "Thanks for the help though, I appreciate you trying." Whoever had called responded quickly and she said her goodbye before flipping the cell shut and sighing.

Looking up again, the brunette saw that she had closed her eyes and had a hand nestled in her messy blonde hair. "I take it that wasn't a friend calling to wish happy holidays?" he said flatly.

"Nope."

It was unusual for her to say so little, and Seto immediately knew something had upset her. But what could it have been? She had said so little and it didn't sound like a particularly dire situation.

Suddenly her dark eyes snapped open and she stared at the older teen across from her. "Okay, I need a favour."

"No." he didn't like the way she had said that, and wasn't about to agree to her probably obscene request.

"Listen, it's really important." When he didn't respond, Ali continued. "So, I'm sort of… in trouble for something I didn't do…" she paused, "well I _did_ do it. But I didn't do what people _think_ I did, and I did it for really important reasons." She sputtered.

Seto wondered if this confession had anything to do with the disturbing information he had received from the police officer yesterday. "Elaborate."

"I can't really give you details. I just need you to trust me… and I need your help."

Wasn't it Ali herself who had accused him of having trust issues? And now she was asking him to trust her, didn't she know that she was the last person he would trust? "What do you want?"

"I need you to find the location of someone for me…"

That was proof enough for Seto that she was talking about the alleged kidnapping. The cop had said that the court date was set for next year. But with new year coming up, that could realistically be anytime in the next month or so. He wanted to ask her about it, but decided to take a more tactful approach.

"No."

Okay, so maybe it wasn't tactful, but at least it got rid of all the questions he had. At the very least she wouldn't give him any more reason to wonder about her.

Ali growled, "You're a real prick, you know that?"

"I've heard."

"Fine!" she stood up from the table. "It doesn't matter anyway, because I can just get Mikhail to help! He's got money and resources, and he's hotter than you anyway. So after he's done helping me, he can fuck me senseless." She spat turning on her heel and exiting the room, most likely to go join Mokuba.

Seto frowned, if Mikhail was so great then why was he her last resort? He mentally berated himself for not at least getting the name of whoever she wanted tracked… maybe that would have cleared up the situation.

He sighed quietly and stood up also. What was it about the blonde that seemed to disable him in the moments he spent near her? He was so fascinated with not being able to predict her next move that he failed to pay attention to his own.

But that was _her_ fault, he reminded himself.

--

Seto stared at the piece of paper in his right hand as he drove, Ali had written directions for him to follow that night and he was finding them particularly difficult to interpret. It was eight-thirty at night, the sun had set hours ago, though it was hard to tell because if all the decorative Christmas lights that adorned the city.

Atop the paper she had drawn a poorly proportioned map leading him from his house to where he was now, and that was where she had lost him. Beneath the map were scribbled instructions of what to do once he was in this particular location.

"What's wrong Seto?" Mokuba asked from the passenger seat, sensing his brother's frustration.

"Why couldn't she just tell us where to go?" he growled studying her instructions. The raven-haired boy shrugged.

"She wanted it to be a surprise." He pointed out bobbing his head to the music that played out of the speakers lightly, a habit he had picked up from Ali. Mokuba had never listened to the radio before, it bothered Seto.

"Well she wants me to 'hang a lefty' on Batuki Street… what is that supposed to mean?"

"Turn left on Batuki." The younger replied confidently.

Seto did as he was told, driving down the street until they reached an intersection. "Now she has written 'make an awesome through the lights', that isn't even an identifiable direction!" he was really at his patient's end with the ridiculous blonde.

Mokuba snickered, "It means go straight."

How his brother could decode such obscene instructions was beyond Seto and he made a note to check the child's geography marks. "Go the _other_ left?"

"Turn right." Mokuba was greatly amused by this all; especially considering he already knew where they were headed… it was humorous to watch Seto struggle though. The older did as he was instructed until they were on a less-travelled street.

Shops and stores passed by, all looking very high-class and sophisticated, which surprised Seto. He had expected to be lead into a horrific red-light district.

"Chill at the leaf?" he question exasperatedly.

"There." Mokuba pointed out the window to a large café with glass windows in the front. On the windows was a painted palm leaf, Seto assumed that was what she had meant and parked his car out front.

"_They_ didn't close for Christmas Eve." Seto pointed out as they left the car and approached the front doors.

"_They_ aren't Kaiba Corp. employees, Seto. You need to give your worker's a break to clear their heads every now and then."

Seto sent a half-hearted glare at his brother; he was starting to sound like Ali. Albeit, much, much more diplomatic. They entered the café; the interior was lovely, even Seto had to silently admit.

It was decorated for the holidays, though not too over-done, a few sparkles here and a hanging orb there. The lights were dim and it wasn't over-crowded, but there were several content-looking people sitting among the tables and booths.

It wasn't hard to find Ali, so out of place in such an organized atmosphere. She was sitting at the bar, chatting animatedly with the bartender who looked no older than twenty-two. Seto noticed the drink she held in her hand and wondered how she had managed to get alcohol.

In Japan the legal drinking age was twenty, no one had ever hassled _him_ about it, but he could get whatever he wanted with a pointed stare. Ali, on the other hand, didn't have fame and money in her favour… she wasn't even particularly beautiful. So Seto came to the conclusion that either the man behind the bar was a friend… or she had worked her intimidating sexual air on him.

The CEO had long ago figured out how she managed to draw men to her without the beauty that many of his gender craved. There was just _something _about her that promised a 'good time', for lack of a better phrase. He hadn't yet pinned whether it was her movements, or her sometimes stunning confidence. But there was certainly something about Aldorina Shvakova that brought up the question – 'what would she be like?'

Not that he had ever wondered about it. He could do better and he knew it.

"Ali!" Mokuba waved, catching the Russian's attention. She hopped clumsily down from the stool and moved towards them, shakily enough that Seto wondered how much alcohols she had ingested before they arrived.

"Hey!" she smiled roughing up the younger's hair a bit. "Sorry I wasn't waiting for you guys outside, I decided to come in and take the edge off." She laughed. Her brown eyes looked black under the dim lights, but sparkled intensely.

"That's okay, Ali. Let's go sit down." Mokuba took her hand them all to a small three-person table near the front of the café. It was then that Seto noticed the small stage that stood not too far from where they were sitting.

It was vacant as of now, but knowing Ali she had called them here to watch a show of some sort. "Why are we here?" he asked, glaring at the half-tipsy blonde. She shot him a goofy grin.

"We have a present for you." She said pointing at herself and Mokuba. "But you need to be here to get it."

"Well what is it?"

"Can't tell."

The CEO frowned and suddenly felt extremely betrayed by the fact that Mokuba had been in on this from the beginning. "You knew where we were going?" he asked the child flatly.

Immediately Mokuba's stormy eyes avoided his brother's glare. "Sort of…" he confessed. And it was true, he barely knew about the events soon to unfold. Ali had made most of the plans, only feeding him bits such as the location, time and people involved.

He had been thrilled to hear that Tailem would be performing the song, with one of the blonde boys from the performance she had taken him to see long ago. He remembered the night, as it was the first time she had _really _fought with Seto… and actually gone so far as to spit on him. Mokuba didn't like the memory, so he immediately shut it out, concentrating on happy things like the gift he and Ali would present to Seto.

She hadn't shown him the lyrics she had written, only claiming 'they're perfect for Seto', Mokuba only hoped that they weren't too deep; his brother had never been one for music… and probably wouldn't appreciate a song behind written about him—descriptively.

Of course, when it came to Seto, Ali had used the term 'deep as a puddle' more than once, so the child didn't worry about it being too personal. After all… from what he saw, the two never really interacted, and when they did it was disastrous. Unless they were meeting up away from him… after all hadn't Seto just bought her a condo near their home?

Worried he tore himself from his thoughts and looked to where Ali and Seto were glaring at each other.

"You are a she-male." Ali said madly, probably in response to something that the brunette had said.

Mokuba almost aloud, there was definitely no deep, emotional connection between the two. He was opening his mouth to intercept the argument before it got serious, but the deed was done for him.

"Merry Christmas!" a chipper woman spoke in to the microphone on stage. "As you all know, we like to have an open-mic show on Christmas Eve's. Tonight, we have a very special performance to open the show. Two well-respected musicians in the area are going to be performing an original song, specifically written for someone in the audience, _by_ someone who has chosen to remain anonymous."

Seto immediately looked to Ali, she was avoiding his gaze and the light flush on her cheeks was enough to give away her secret.

"So without further delay, here they are!"

A few people—Mokuba and Ali included—clapped for the two boys who appeared on stage. Seto immediately recognized one as Tailem (it was hard not to recognize his long fiery hair and clear cerulean eyes), and the other he though he had seen before, but couldn't place it.

Tailem sat down at the large black piano and the blonde teen took a seat center stage, on a stool in front of the mic stand. On his lap he held an electric guitar.

"She said it all, so all we have to do is play." He said in a velvety smooth voice.

The boys began to play a lovely tune, the piano leading and the guitar strumming along and adding to the song beautifully, the intro was gentle and even Seto had to admit that the music was good.

When the blonde began to sing in his perfect alto voice, the CEO listened closely, along with every other person in the café, hanging in his every lyric.

"_Just take a shot in the dark,  
__No one will talk about it.  
__It's not a stroll in the park,  
__They're scared to think about it.  
__You're alive, you're so dead,  
__We can't just laugh about this…  
__I bet you're losing your mind now—  
__Aren't you?"_

Seto's eyes moved to Ali who was only watching the boys. She had a paper napkin in her hand and was tearing tiny pieces off and rolling them in to balls. Absently she chewed her bottom lip… she was nervous.

"_When you sleep it will come back to haunt you,  
__When you wake it will do its best to ruin you.  
__Hope you know that one day it will kill you…  
__But you're too far in, to rewind._

_Under the city lights,  
__You can try not to remember.  
__Behind your pretty eyes,  
__It's clear you're gonna go under.  
__But all the bright lights…  
__You're just too strong to falter—  
__And so you won't even try."_

What was she playing at? Surely she wasn't expecting him to listen to this mediocre piece of work and have a sudden epiphany… Seto frowned, Mokuba looked expectant as well, he wondered if his little brother had helped her with this. The feeling of betrayal came back.

"_I dare you to speak a word at all,  
__That actually means something,  
__It's a joy to watch you almost-fall,  
__But leaves us feeling guilty.  
__Did you dance on eggshells for him?  
__Did you fall to your knees for his ever whim?  
__You look through us so you won't look inside,  
_'_Cause you're too scared of what you'll find. _

_If you keep this up, I don't doubt it will break you,  
__When you think, it will do its best to burn you.  
__We all know that one day it will kill you…  
__But you're too far in to rewind."_

He could feel his hands twitch, wishing they had something to break. It had been a long time since he had been so irrevocably full of rage, leave it to Ali to be the reason he felt such a way… she had even turned his own brother against him, he thought dramatically.

"_Blue eyes, like a bluebird's eyes on speed,  
__If you don't mind me asking—  
__What is it they've seen?  
__And if your hair loses its luster, that's fine for today,  
__If you don't mind me saying—  
__I prefer it that way._

_Under the city light,  
__I'm begging you to remember,  
__Before your pretty eyes  
__Lose sight and you go under.  
__All the bright lights  
__Make me too star-struck to alter,  
__The way I know this will end."_

Finally Seto stood from the table, the men on stage were still playing but he couldn't listen any longer. Several eyes were on him as he strode from the café, angrily. As he turned he caught a glimpse of Mokuba's face… hurt and sadness shot through his innocent eyes. Seto truly hated Ali for putting him in a situation where he would cause the child to feel that way.

Ali's reaction was too fast for her own liking as she jumped from her seat and grabbed Mokuba pulling him along with her. Together they practically fled from the lovely building, now filled with tension so thick it was almost tangible.

Once they were on the sidewalk Ali quickly beckoned for Mokuba to slide in to the car, he did so without argument. Her fiery brown eyes scanned the sidewalk for Seto; he was several feet away gripping a parking meter, as if hoping to draw some sort of relaxation from it.

"Don't do this." She spat coming in next to him. She thanked her initial instincts for the few drinks she had. It would have been sheer chaos without the small amount of calm that the alcohol offered her.

"You had no right--"

"Mokuba and I worked hard on that, and you broke his heart."

Angry blue eyes shot to her, "_You_." He hissed and suddenly the blonde found herself feeling very, very… something.

Afraid, perhaps? She couldn't place it, but she didn't like the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach… almost regretful.

"You can't be happy unless you're making a mess of someone else's life. Do you think it will make your life less of a mess if you destroy _mine_?"

Ali was shocked, but tried to keep up. "You're blaming _me_ for ruining your life?! Jesus Seto, I don't care how smart you are—you're a fucking idiot."

"My life is none of your concern."

"I want to help."

"I don't want your help. I did nothing to warrant deserving this obscene--"

Ali cut him off, "Do you even know what you deserve?" she asked angrily, continuing before the CEO could respond. "You _deserved_ an orchestra! And a professional lyricist to turn your pain into a haunting song. But I didn't have that, Seto. I had an amazingly talented little boy, who loves you and knows you better than anyone. I had a piano and a guitar, and words that I created to try and _explain_ to you that I want to help. I can't do that if you won't admit to needing it."

"I don't need you."

Ali sighed, sadly. "Well I hope you find what you need soon, then."

For a moment they only looked into each other's eyes, searching for some kind of answer. Neither spoke as they stood under the street lamp. Finally Ali broke the silence.

"I don't know what happened to you…" she mumbled quietly. Slowly she raised a small hand and cupped Seto's cool cheek, immediately he was torn between shoving her away and ignoring the gesture. "… But I have ideas. And I know that I wouldn't have survived it."

She stoked his soft cheek quickly before releasing and taking a step back. "Merry Christmas."

As she stepped past him and down the street, Seto wondered where she was going, her apartment was empty and the condo wouldn't be finished until Boxing Day. Of course, he wasn't thinking too hard about the subject—preoccupied by the left-over warmth on his face.

It was another thing about Ali that he didn't understand. No matter how dramatically she crossed the lines he drew… he always forgave her. Her intentions never seemed _truly_ evil…

Shaking the thoughts from his head the CEO turned to his car, pushing the blonde to the furthest corners of his mind. For now, he had a younger brother to explain things to.

* * *

**Right, so my crappy lyric-writing 'skillz' are copyrighted to me. But if on some sick whim you decide to steal Ali's song... I really don't give a shit.**

**R&R (Come on, if you made it this far - at least leave me a note)  
KASUMI!**

**PS- Started a blong, if anyone is interested. It's linked through my Homepage in my profile. Ch'yeah, I've only written one entry as of yet. **

**Sorry, again, about the wait - I won't make a habit of it.**


	18. Backwards Grocery Store Gossip

**

* * *

**

Middle of the Summer

**Chapter: **18

**Title:** Backwards Grocery Store Gossip

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

* * *

Ali trotted up the steps to the Kaiba mansion, fighting off the cold with a hoodie that was ten-sizes too big for her and hung to her knees.

"I hate white Christmases…" she grumbled to herself as she tripped up the last step and pushed the door open. She knew that the servants were dismissed for the holidays, so there was no real reason to knock on the door, really.

It was Christmas morning, and after last night she was wondering is she should even have bothered with showing. After Seto's less-than-friendly reaction to her and Mokuba's hard worked-on song, the blonde had been more crestfallen than she let on.

She sighed remembering the look in the CEO's eyes before he left the café… he looked suffocated.

A feeling she knew all too well.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she kicked her boots off in the foyer. The warm air felt nice after walking half-an-hour in the icy weather. Grinning she skipped through the rooms until she was in the living room—where she had insisted Seto put up (and decorate) the Christmas tree.

She paused in the doorway, watching as Seto handed a gift to his younger brother who sat on the floor in front of the couch where Seto was resting. She smiled, it was already nine in the morning, but both boys had not yet dressed.

Mokuba was looking adorable in a white-silk pajama set and Seto wore a pair of black slacks and a too-big t-shirt. Ali grinned wider, in the apparel the rigid CEO looked more than human. She frowned, though, when her eyes rested on the perfectly-tamed brunette hair.

"Do you wake up looking like that?" she grumbled loud enough for both brothers to hear.

"Ali!" Mokuba cheered waving to her, he probably would have gotten up if not for the gift he held in his hands at the moment.

"Hey kid, Merry Christmas!"

The Russian stepped clumsily over a few gifts which had already been opened until she could collapse on the couch next to Seto, noticing that the older boy had yet to even look at her. She assumed he was still mad at her… it saddened her a little, much to her surprise.

Mokuba finished opening the gift, smiled and hugged his brother before standing and smiling brightly at Ali. "Let me get your present!" he said happily, moving to look through the vast number of gifts under the tree in search of one particular gift.

"I got you something." The blonde whispered to Seto. His cold blue eyes turned on her, a bored look across his face.

"Haven't you given me enough?" he asked, irritated.

"Here." She shoved something in to his hands.

Seto studied it, a tiny, rectangular object that fit in the palm of his long hand, easily. It had been carelessly wrapped in silver paper. He eyes the blonde who was smiling goofily at him.

"No thank you."

"What?" Ali asked, taken off-guard. "You can't say 'no' it's a gift!"

"I don't want it."

"I didn't want you to buy me a freaking condo, but you did and it turned out to be a decent option." She pouted.

Sighing Seto ripped off the horrible wrap-job and narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"What is this?"

"It's a mix tape." Ali was smiling proudly. "You need some music education—there is a vast plethora of stuff on there, I figure you'll like _something_."

"A vast plethora?" Seto smirked at her choice of words. She almost sounded smart when she spoke like that.

Ali rolled her eyes. "I own a dictionary, I haven't memorized it like you, but I own one."

"Hn."

"You're welcome, Sunshine."

Seto was about to object, pointing out that he hadn't thanked her, and more than ready to snap at the use of her new pet-name for him. But Mokuba cut in.

"Here it is!" he giggled pushing a fairly large gift on to Ali's lap. "Open it!"

"No, you open mine, first." Ali sighed, pulling a black envelope from the pocket of her hoodie. "I'm sure after I open this, my gift to you will look like a pile of puke."

Mokuba rolled his eyes, but reached for the envelope nevertheless. He flipped it open slowly and pulled out the contents. Two slips of paper.

After a moment of studying them, his childish face broke in to a huge smile and he threw his arms around the Russian.

"Ali this is so cool!"

"You like it?" she chuckled. "I thought you would be in to that—you've been listening to the CD non-stop."

Unable to remain the dark any longer, Seto lifted on of the slips from Mokuba's hand and read it over.

A concert for a band called 'Hellogoodbye' in two weeks, only twenty minutes away. (1)

"Isn't it great Seto! I like that band, they're really good!"

Behind Mokuba, Seto saw Ali shake her head and grin. "They're not amazing, but Mokie loves them, so I thought it would be a good bonding experience for you two."

"Us two?" Suddenly Mokuba's face fell, "You're not taking me?"

"No, I have some stuff to do when that's going on. But take Seto—show him what you like!" she encouraged. "I'm opening this now." She pointed at the gift and tore some of the paper off immediately, with no care.

"Oh…" was all she said once the box beneath was revealed, a box for an extremely high-end looking laptop.

"It's a computer, so you can email and stuff." Mokuba explained. "I think you should have one, how do you live without one?"

"Ask your brother—he's seen me with a computer. I'm… handicapped when it comes to technology."

Seto snorted, that was the understatement of the year, earning him a glare from the blonde.

"I like it though!" she said smiling back at Mokuba, "You'll need to show me how to use, though."

"Great!" the child cheered, happily.

"What are you guys doing today?" Ali asked, settling back into the cushions of the couch.

"Well Seto's taking me to the Game Shop later, so I can give Yugi and everyone their presents."

Ali bolted upright suddenly, her dark eyes wide in realization.

"Shit, mother fucker, fuck… shit!" she shouted smacking her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"You are _so_ full of holiday spirit." Seto drawled, sarcastically.

"Oh shut up, rich boy, you're not one to talk." She snapped whilst rummaging through her bag. "I was supposed to go see Joey last night and I totally blanked… he's going to be so worried, or… pissed."

"Where did you go last night?" Mokuba asked, scooting closer to the Russian, not intimidated by her aggressive mood swing.

"I went and got a tattoo and then I crashed at Tailem's house." She answered distractedly, chewing her lip and pulling her cell phone out, flipping it open and clumsily beginning to text.

"You got a tattoo!" Mokuba was wide-eyed and looking at the girl with a sudden admiration. "Did it hurt? Can I see?"

Ali was silent for a moment, texting Joey, until she slid the phone shut and grinned back at the raven-haired boy.

"Yeah, it hurt. Check it out." In a moment she had pulled off the huge black hoodie and lifted the white t-shirt beneath it to reveal a small patch of white gauze taped on the right side of her rib cage.

Slowly, wincing a little she pulled the tape off from the side to reveal the raw and freshly decorated skin below. Even Seto's eyes watched with mild interest as she did so.

Finally enough of the image was revealed to make sense. A bright red phoenix rose from a pile of ashes, surrounded by flames. It was a beautiful image, especially striking were the piercing blue eyes of the bird.

"Sweet, huh?" she smirked while Mokuba stared as if hypnotized by the picture.

"Wow… it's so _pretty_…" he breathed, keeping his hands pressed tightly in his lap. "I want to get one."

Ali turned to smile at Seto, "Can I take him?"

"Absolutely not."

"How about an ear piercing? Lots of little boys have them." She suggested, ignoring Mokuba's grimace at being referred to as a 'little boy', he actually welcome the idea.

"No."

"Oh come on Seto, it's totally respectable… I mean that Devlin guy has an ear piercing and he's a CEO! Like you!" she tried to explain.

"Duke?" Mokuba asked, frowning in remembrance, he hadn't been particularly of the man, or his game.

"Yes, Duke. He has that dice-thinger on his ear. All Mokie would get is a little stud, maybe a hoop?"

"I already said no." the CEO stated plainly, not wanting to go any further with the conversation. Particularly if it encouraged his younger brother being anything like the ridiculous Dungeon Dice Monsters creator.

"Don't worry kid, we'll just go ahead and do it anyway." Ali patted Mokuba on the head and sent a meaningful glare in Seto's direction. He countered it with a glare that just screamed for her to go ahead and try it.

"How do you know Duke?" Mokuba asked, still hung up on that particular point of the conversation.

"Oh, I don't really know him. I went to meet Joey's sister a while ago, and he was there too. Cute guy, but he's too… rich." She finished, cocking her head as if trying to decide if 'rich' was the right word.

"Oh…" the child was clearly confused, but didn't press the issue further. Ali's phone beeped signaling a text message and she slid it open to read over the message quickly.

"Alright guys, I have to take off. I'll see you later, or tomorrow… whichever." She sighed, Seto guessed that Joey's message had been less-than-understanding. "Listen to the tape, Seto." She shot over her shoulder as she sauntered out of the room.

The CEO stared down at the small cassette still in his hand; he had no real intention of listening to it. He had never much cared for much and since he was already obligated to take Mokuba to a concert, he figured that would be enough. Carelessly she dropped the tape into the drawer of the living room coffee table.

--

"Thanks a lot, Mokuba. This is so cool!" Yugi smiled at the child across from him. They were seated in the Mouto's living room; Joey, Tea, Tristan, Yugi (and his grandfather), Seto and Mokuba all exchanging gifts—with the obvious exception of Seto, who was staring boredly out the window, wiching his brother would hurry up.

"You're welcome." The kid chimed, smiling widely. "By the way… where's Ali? She was at our house this morning and she said she was going to be with you, Joey." He added, looking towards the American teen.

Joey's honey eyes rolled, "Yeah, she ditched me at lunch." It was now a little after one on the afternoon. "'Dunno where she took off to."

"That's weird." Mokuba shrugged.

"Nah, she's always runnin' off on me—you'd think she was havin' an affair or something." He added chuckling. Seto was tempted to smirk at how little the teen seemed to know about his own girlfriend.

More lighthearted chatter filled the room for several minutes, Seto grimacing and hoping he would be able to leave soon. Mokuba giving more gifts to the older teens, who he considered friends; more than his peers and fellow students.

"You stupid bitch!"

Obviously, all eyes turned to the door as it was shouted, a male's voice dominating the small house in the back of the Game Shop. Instantly, Mr. Mouto frowned at not having heard a knock at the door.

Ali stepped angrily into the living room being trailed by the older teen Seto immediately recognized as Mikhail. The man was wearing a black business suit and carrying a black leather briefcase, his sharp green eyes wide in fury as he read off a sheet of paper in his free hand.

"Hey guys," Ali greeted quickly. "Yugi, did I leave some, uh… papers here when I was in the other night?"

The small teen shock himself out of his shock quickly enough to stand up and move towards the blonde.

"I don't think so, should I look."

"Aldorina, I swear to God--"

"Oh shut _up_ Mikhail! We'll fucking find them!" Ali snapped whirling around to face the brunette.

"What's goin' on?" Joey asked defensively moving to stand at his girlfriend's side. "Who're you?" he question Mihkail.

"He's a leechy shit-bag who thinks he owns the world." Ali answered, seething.

"I thought that was Kaiba's job." The American boy attempted a joke to lighten Ali's obviously furious state.

It didn't work, it only earned him an angry glance.

"You know, we wouldn't be here if you had just done what I suggested in the beginning and--"

"For a lawyer, you're surprisingly opposed to abiding by the _law_." The Russian snapped at Mikhail for speaking again. "We're doing this my way."

"Great, make sure you call me and let me know when I can visit you in jail."

Ali was opening her mouth to retort, but Joey stopped her. "Whad'ya mean jail? Ali, why do you have a lawyer?"

"Don't worry about it Puppy. Go sit." She sighed, surprisingly, Joey obeyed, moving back to the couch.

"Mr. Mouto?" Ali asked, slowly, the old man had yet to say anything from the chair he sat in, flipping thorough a catalogue of gaming merchandise.

"Yes?"

"Did you come across some, er… papers. Legal crap?"

"I didn't." the old man replied, flicking a page in the magazine.

Mikhail glared at the Russian, "I knew this would happen! That's it—we're taking the offer."

Ali stared at him, "You mean the _bribe_."

"Call it what you want Ali, it's two-million dollars. You're being given a choice between more money than you'll ever dream of making or going to jail, and you're choosing the latter."

"Some things are worthy fighting for." She replied, almost whispering.

Mikhail only shook his head, chuckling lightly. "Do you even realize how much evidence they have against you? Are you oblivious to the fact that Takao Kijiou has enough money to _buy_ justice—whether it be just or not?"

Seto nearly gasped at the name—_Takao Kijiou_ was a long time business associate of his. He owned a company that produced fiber optics, one of the leading companies and number one supporter of Kaiba Corporation. Why was Ali involved in a lawsuit against the man? What had she done?

Again, he remembered the police officers words, Ali had been arrested for kidnapping… Takao Kijiou had a nine-year-old son, didn't he? No… adoptive son, Seto remembered because he had been impressed by the businessman's willingness to take on parenthood on top of the company he ran.

But no one had seen the child in quite a while, Seto fumbled with the boys name until remembering, Kanata Kijiou. Ali hadn't… had she?

"Either you're helping—or you're not. Decide." Ali said impatiently, now so wrapped up in her own conversation that she seemed to forget that she had an audience. Mikhail, however was stealing frequent glances in Seto's direction. It seemed that he was impressed that he got a chance to show off his arguing tactics in front of the man whose own lawyers were currently training him.

"I will help you win. I am not going to assist you in crashing and burning."

Ali snorted, and flicked a stray strand of hair from her face. "No—you just don't want a spot on your perfect record. Play it safe, Mikhail, wouldn't want _daddy_ to be disappointed in you."

Green eyes locked on brown, and the sudden tension between them was almost tangible. Everyone was quiet and Seto felt Mokuba scoot closer to him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mikhail hissed.

"You haven't earned a _thing_, you aren't entitled to anything. Don't act like you worked for this." Ali said, her cheeks beginning to flush with anger.

It was easy to sat that everyone in the room was confused beyond comprehension by this point—even Seto, who had the most understanding of what was happening, was lost.

"Here." The green-eyed teen shoved his briefcase into Ali's hand. "You'll need all this stuff. I'm done with you."

"Fine, go!"

"No, I mean… _done_."

Ali dropped the black case, it fell on its side with a loud thump, but the blonde didn't move. Her eyes were fixed on Mikhail's, reading his expression.

"Fine." She said icily, "Run home to your daddy and your fiancé and live your perfect little life. I don't care."

A delicate eyebrow was raised, and Mikhail smirked victoriously. "Have fun in prison. Remember to smile for the cameras when you lose… there will be many." And with that he turned on his heel and left the room, left Ali staring after him.

Immediately she felt her head begin to spin. The person she truly hated, but truly relied on was gone, they had threatened to leave each other before—but this time she knew he meant it. She could see something new in his face. He was done with her, he had won.

And she lost, and she was losing, still. Shakily, she bent to lift the briefcase… filled with photos, testimonials and other work that Mikhail had put in to the lawsuit. The case that was burning up her life faster than kerosene and matches could.

All because she needed to save at least one life to justify her own. As the room spun and she failed to find the handle to the briefcase she felt a sharp pain run through her chest, and she dropped heavily to her knees.

She heard her name being called out by many of her friends, but her eyes couldn't find them. They could only find a pair of blue eyes that watched her with no emotion. She felt herself bite down hard on her bottom lip, and as the trickle of blood tickled her chin blue became the black of her eyelids.

--

(1) – Hellogoodbye is a pop-ish band, they're superfun. In my mind, Mokuba adores them.

* * *

TBC

R&R  
Kasumi.


	19. More Fame Than You Deserve

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **19

**Title:** More Fame Than You Deserve

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

* * *

"Joey, calm the hell down! It was a panic attack—I'll live."

"I just think you should take it easy." The American boy ignored Ali's objections and pushed her back down on Yugi's living room couch. She hadn't been unconscious for more than five minutes, but it had been enough to get the teen in to a fit of hysteria.

Mokuba had reacted badly as well, in fact he hadn't let go of the Russian's arm since she had been lifted to the couch. She didn't mind that so much, though. The comforting smell of his gardenia scented hair relaxed her significantly.

"What was that all about, Ali?" the slate coloured eyes stared up at her filled with curiosity and worry.

"It was nothing," The words came out slightly harsher than she had intended, sending Mokuba's eyes to the floor, dejectedly. Ali was too caught up in her own thoughts to try to comfort him.

"What's in 'da suitcase?" Joey inquired moving to lift the briefcase from where it was still lying in the center of the room. He wasn't the only one looking at it, Yugi and his grandfather had been eyeing it suspiciously since it had been brought into their home.

Immediately, realizing that the precious bank of evidence was lying unprotected, Ali leapt from Mokuba's grasp and dove to the object. Once she grasped the handle she held it close to her body. "It's nothing."

There was a distrusting snort from the armchair where Seto sat. It was then that Ali noticed he was watching her, with an understanding glare. Immediately she wondered if he knew what was going on. After all Takao Kijiou was highly regarded in Seto's little world of business… it would make sense for the CEO to know the man.

But he must not know much, he still let her around Mokuba, didn't he? Or… maybe he _did _know what was going on—maybe he saw her side. Suddenly, the blonde realized that the CEO could be her best ally in the situation she was in.

"Seto…" she made an extra effort to get her voice sounding weak, maybe over dramatic for the situation. "I'm actually feeling kind of… faint. You should drive me to your place."

"Okay, Ali. C'mon." Mokuba said, worried by the blonde's tone—clearly not picking up on the hint. Joey sent her a worried glance, but shook his hair out and began chatting quietly with Tristan. Apparently, her little exchange with Mikhail had roused a slight bit of suspicion from the Brooklyn-born teen.

"No, no Mokie. You stay here and finish up with the gifts—have some fun, too! I'll be fine with your brother."

Mokuba's jaw dropped in shock, those were words he was that he would never thought Ali would say. Of course, the Russian was just full of surprises. So, hesitantly, he nodded.

Seto, who hadn't said a word through the exchange simply rose from the chair and stepped from the room. With a quick smile over her shoulder, Ali noticed Joey sending her a look that could only be defined as… _odd_. Shaking it off she let herself follow the brunette from the room, and from the house.

Once they were outside in the calm winter atmosphere, Ali dropped the briefcase and turned to the nearest parking meter.

"_Fuck_!" she screamed hysterically, her foot lashed out and kicked the object roughly, managing to shake much of the snow from the top. She knocked the rest off with her hand, feeling the freezing heat of the snow melting against her fingers. "No, no, no…"

Seto watched calmly as she paced back and forth, her waist length jacket flailing helplessly behind her erratic movement. Nonchalantly, he reached down and retrieved the fallen briefcase from the sidewalk, keeping his eyes on the emotional blonde.

Her face was twisted in anger and something else—a cocktail of emotions. Finally she slowed and moved to his side, staring up at him with her round dark eyes.

"What do I do, now?" she muttered, sadly. "I'm in so deep this time."

The CEO didn't say anything, but rather crossed the street, with Ali on his heels, to his car on the opposite side. Once they were in the vehicle he placed the briefcase on Ali's lap.

"I'll drive—you talk."

There was a long silence—unnerving, almost—as the older teen pulled off the street, after a few blocks of the wordless blanket over them, the blonde finally spoke. Her voice seemed distant, but at the moment it didn't matter.

"I don't know where to start."

"The beginning."

An exasperated sigh fell from her lips, "I guess it doesn't matter what I tell you about myself at this point…" she settled into her seat, staring blankly out the window. "Last year during that… or, well… _your_ tournament, I was at a real low in my life. I don't actually remember much of it… I was in and out of hospitals, in and out of houses… it was bad, it was really bad…"

"Drugs?"

"More than I can name anymore," she shook her head, "I couldn't deal with reality… it had been building up since I was, well, Mokuba's age. But last year… last year was the bottom. I actually died, you know?"

Seto glanced at her.

"For twelve seconds. All that shit they say about 'the white light' is complete crap. I don't remember anything except for darkness." She muttered.

"Overdose?"

"I didn't know it was physically possible to be in so much pain." She sighed, turning back to the CEO and letting her eyes scan over the bold shape of his cheek bones. "After that I was more than ready to do it again, and get it _right_."

Their eyes met, "I don't understand."

"I wanted to die." She almost whispered, "I wasn't benefitting the world at all, I just wanted to be wherever he was."

"Lancifer."

"My other half."

"What happened?" Seto was surprised to find himself intrigued by her life.

"I met a kid in the hospital. He was in the emergency room, with his father's personal assistant."

"Takao Kijiou's stepson."

"One of _you_," she sighed, "from your world, I mean. Anyway, he had fainted and they found out that he was severely malnourished."

Seto cocked an eyebrow.

"I stole his files…" she admitted, pulling at a stray string on her jacket. "But no nine-year-old boy starves until he faints… it's unheard of. I knew…"

"What?" Seto pried when she trailed off.

"It was my first try too, I was seven. I tried to starve myself, of course I was too young to understand that it was a long process. I thought I would die if I missed breakfast," she laughed sadly, "this kid was on his third week of water. I knew what he was doing—there was something in his eyes. No, that's not right… there was _nothing_ in his eyes. That's how I knew.

"After I got out, I went to the address in his files. I was clean… but still detoxing, I needed the distraction." She frowned, "It's funny how far away it all seems now, I barely even remember wanting a hit…"

"You went to see him." The brunette prompted.

"Right." She nodded, "Well… when I got there his father—stepfather, actually, was at work and the kid was home with the servants." She looked up at Seto, "Same deal as your life."

He frowned, but ignored the reference.

"Anyway, I told the kid I was a cop… he was so young, he bought it all…"

"The people watching him bought it, too?"

"I think that they wanted him to be helped, they didn't hassle me much. Anyway, five minutes with him and I knew there was something wrong. I can't even describe the kid he was…" her voice turned to a whisper. "… he was just like you."

Seto was silent, Ali followed suit. It seemed that there had been some realization in her words, inwardly she was putting the pieces together. Kanata's story… Seto's indifference… could it all have been caused by the same twisted beginning to a life.

"Eventually…" she started again, cautiously. "After we had been visiting with each other for a few months—I was sober the whole time—he finally cracked. I guess it had been a bad week, he was barely walking…

"He told me everything, I don't know if it hurt him more to say it, or me to hear it. The things that man did… to someone who trusted him with, with his life."

Seto felt his grip tighten on the steering wheel they were almost at his house now, and suddenly he couldn't wait to leave the enclosed space of the car.

"Seto…"

"What?" he snapped in reply.

"I had no other choice…" she whispered, "I took him, I wasn't thinking straight… but I wouldn't change it even if I could.

"I took so much more too, things that made me sick and sad to see around the house." Her grip on the briefcase tightened subconsciously. "Pictures… things… things that broke my heart.

"I got him out, and it didn't take long for them to catch me. Of course the bastard is pressing the harshest charges he can. But Kanata is in a group home until the case is resolved… I have no idea where he is. They made sure to keep him away from me. A secret." She toyed with a lock of hair, fallen from the sloppy ponytail it was tied in to. "He's just a kid, if I lose… if he goes back to that… _creature_," she refused to call him a man, "I don't think I'd live through it."

"You wouldn't, or _he_ wouldn't?"

"He'd live… just like you."

Seto faltered, in the middle of putting the car in park he knocked the gear shift into reverse, there was a quick jolt before he jammed on the break, feeling his neck crack and his head smack roughly against the headrest. _This_ was the exact reason he didn't keep people around, he didn't like being figured out.

"Seto…" Ali started, rubbing her own neck as the brunette straightened the car out and set it, properly, in park. "Maybe you should go back to letting Frederic drive us everywhere."

The CEO wanted to snap at the brunette, telling her that the only times he lost his concentration was when she was around. But he immediately realized how that might sound to her, and it wasn't something he wanted to admit anyhow. He slid out of the car as quickly as he could manage without looking desperate. It felt better to breathe in the open space of outside.

Ali slammed her door behind her; fumbling with the briefcase in her hand she took a few clumsy steps toward the brunette. "Sorry, I didn't mean to uh… freak you out."

"You didn't." Seto tried to defend, he didn't want the girl thinking she affected him so strongly when she said things that really hit home.

"Oh… okay. Well… the reason I wanted _you_ to be the one to help me out with this is--"

"I am not helping you."

Ali felt her jaw go slack, and a spark of anger plant itself deep in her chest. "After everything I just told you… you aren't going to help me?" she hissed, refusing to believe that even the CEO could be so heartless.

"Your problems are not mine to solve."

Ali was speechless, her chest was constricting and she could feel all the blooding her body rushing to her cheeks. Even the icy winder air went unnoticed as her body burnt up with rage.

Seto ignored her heated eyes and began his ascent up the front steps, it wasn't that he didn't want to _help_, he just didn't want to be around Ali anymore. She was too perceptive for her own good and he no longer felt properly defended under her calculating watch.

There was a _thud_ followed by a cracking sound behind him and Seto turned to see that Ali had heaved a large rock from the driveway and thrown it at his windshield. The heave thing hadn't broken through but there was a huge crack across the window and a dent where it had bounced off the hood.

She was glaring at him, fury etched over all her features, the subdued, sad girl he had been speaking with so shortly before had disappeared in a sudden out burst of flames.

Surprisingly, she didn't yell and scream… or say a single word for that matter; she only turned on her heel and stormed down the long driveway. Seto didn't know where she was headed and at the moment he didn't care.

He mulled over how grateful he would have been to be saved by someone like her when he was a child, as he stepped though the front door.

Absently he wondered who was going to save _her_ this time around. Sighing lightly, in the silence of the foyer, her pulled out his BlackBerry and proceeded to call his lawyer.

Go figure it would have to be himself.

--

Seto approached the back door of the Game Shop, which lead to the Mouto's cozy home. It was later that night, Mokuba had insisted on staying late to hang out with the older teens, much to Seto's annoyance. He didn't like his brother spending so much time with such irritating influences—but it was better than the child shutting out everyone all together. After all, it was difficult for him to get along with other children; as soon as they heard that he was a Kaiba, they were too ignorant to give him a chance.

He knocked firmly on the door, knowing that he was perfectly on time to pick Mokuba up, but the kid would still probably need to say his goodbyes. Seto's punctuality hadn't transferred to the younger.

"Oh hey Kaiba," Yugi answered, smiling shyly as per usual. He moved out of the way and let Seto into the house. "Mokuba had so much fun, we really appreciate you letting us keep him."

"Hn."

The two made their way through the kitchen and into the living room where Mokuba and Joey were playing a video game—on an old console, Seto noted—from the couch. Tea and Tristan were snacking on chips and watching the two playing, seated on the floor.

"Mokuba, your brother's here." Yugi chirped as he moved to sit on the couch with the two. Mokuba's slate eyes flitted to his brother and he smiled, pausing the game and hopping off the couch.

"Seto, Yugi's grandpa left for a Gaming Expo after dinner, so everyone is sleeping here tonight," he motioned towards the teens in the room. "Can I stay, too?"

The CEO eyed his brother, it was unusual for Mokuba to make spur-of-the-moment requests, he knew how much Seto hated spontaneity.

"It's Christmas night; the highest number of accidents occur on this night of the year."

The raven-haired-boy cocked an eyebrow, "So?"

Seto decided that he had been spending _far _too much time with Ali. The kid had never questioned Seto before. The brunette was opening his mouth to tell Mokuba he would have to decline the invitation but the sound of the back door opening distracted him.

There was a loud crash as if someone fell into the house, through the door followed by a fit of laughter. Everyone's eyes turned top the doorway, waiting for whoever had caused the disturbance to join them.

"Where's my…" a voice trailed off and started laughing again. It was a distinctly familiar soprano voice, and actually took Seto off-guard.

Two blonde stumbled through the doorway to the living room. Ali was the shorter of the two, dressed oddly, considering her usual 'just-woke-up' style. She was wearing an electric blue t-shirt that actually fit her average-sized body, and a pair of ripped jeans that looked new. Seto assumed she had purchased them with the rips included, something he thought to be ridiculous. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, which wasn't unusual. Her face was flushed, making her look extremely childish.

It was the figure next to her that shocked everyone.

As usual, Mai Valentine's beauty totally eclipsed whoever she stood next to. The older woman was just as flushed, and laughing along with Ali as they stumbled. Decked out in a black miniskirt and white tank-top, she looked like the epitome of gorgeous—nothing new.

"Mai?" Tea was the first to speak, her voice was surprised. And it was a surprise. Mai had moved back to America after Battle City, and the last anyone had heard from her was that she was trying to start up a clothing line.

"Hey, honey." Her voice was slightly slurred, which explained the flushed cheeks, laughter and stumbling. Seto was actually surprised that there had been any bars open on Christmas night.

"You guys…" Ali struggled with her words, clearly more intoxicated than the older. "… know… you?" she tried, her eyes crossed with effort.

Mai giggled highly and nodded.

By now, Joey was staring at Ali with such intensity, it was a surprise she still hadn't turned to face him. "Where didch'ya guys go?" he asked, slowly.

Ali and Mai exchanged glances and grinned widely and burst out laughing, leaning on each other for support. Finally Mai answered, gasping for air as she did so.

"I came to see my girl, and we went dancing." Ali twirled clumsily as her friend explained, as if proving that they had been out dancing.

"'Yer girl?" Joey was visibly confused, now. His eyebrows crossed in confusion.

"Yep," Ali quipped, "She's my Mai." She grinned stupidly, draping her arm around the taller woman's waist.

Caught off guard by the sudden addition of weight, Mai tripped on one of her heels and stumbled to the side. Ali fell, too though she reached out to grab the first thing she could reach to steady herself.

Said thing ended up being the collar of Seto's shirt.

The blonde hung on, staring up into the CEO's icy blue eyes, her vision clouded by one two many drinks. He could her breath flying up at him, warm against his chin and reeking of alcohol.

For a moment he just watched her eyes, almost black, yet so far from mysterious. He could practically see the gears turning in her head through them, and was reminded of the familiar quote about the eyes being the window to someone's soul.

His hands were at his sides, though for a millisecond they twitched with the sudden urge to make sure she stayed steady. He quickly repressed the feeling.

The air hung still around everyone in the room, Mai must have heard about her friend's less-than-fantastic relationship with the CEO, because she looked just as aware of the tension as anyone.

Suddenly Ali smiled, "I have somethin' for you…" she murmured, Seto noticed a slight Russian accent that made itself heard through the drunken slur. "…just to thank you for all your _help_ this afternoon."

She smiled wider before letting go of his collar and resting her hands on her knees. There was a loud retching sound, and in a delayed reaction Seto was suddenly very aware of the fact that she had just vomited in his shoes.

She leaned back up, wiped off her lips and grinned weakly, "I hate you." She shot through the phony smile.

Abruptly, Seto took Mokuba by the shoulder and began to leave the room with his brother, halfway out the door he turned his head and shot over his shoulder,

"Wheeler, get your girlfriend cleaned up and in bed—she has a meeting tomorrow morning." He set a piece of paper on one of the end tables nearby. He had written down the address and time for her to meet with his most experienced lawyer.

Ali looked momentarily confused but shook it off, as Yugi shot to the kitchen to clean up her mess from the carpet. Mai only sent a thoughtful glance from Joey to Ali as the American boy kissed her lightly on the top of her head.

As Joey pulled Ali from the room, Mai heard him mutter a barely audible, "She's not _my_ girl…"

* * *

In case anyone is interested, I put up a oneshot/character developement blip. It goes with this story, I'd love to hear everyone's opinions on it.

Please, please, please review. I'm kind of losing faith in this story...

Kasumi.


	20. Heroin, the AntiDrug

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **20

**Title:** Heroin, the Anti-Drug

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**NOTE: **Okay, so… don't hate me for this. But I might not be able to update for two weeks or so. You see… I'm heading off to London tomorrow, for a two-week (much needed) vacation. So yeah… I will be REALLY busy, but you have my word that I will write if I get a chance! This story will be my first priority! And my book will hate me for it, but that can wait. My readers can't. So drop me a line. If I get lots of reviews I'll be more motivated to escape and write, mid-vacation. But no promises, in between concerts and shopping I'll be swamped. If not, you have my word that I'll update when I get back.

* * *

"Ugh, that was painful." Ali groaned, slipping into the passenger seat of Mai's Benz.

"Oh honey, I'm sure you're overreacting."

"Really? You don't think sitting in a room for two hours only to have an entire board of lawyers tell you that if they're lucky you'll only have to spend two-years locked up—no parole, would be painful?"

Mai shuddered, "That bad, huh."

"I'm _so_ screwed…" the Russian whined leaning back into the white leather seat. She felt her friend's hand on her shoulder.

"We'll find a way."

"Mmm…"

A short silence fell over both girls as they pondered on the options in front of them, needless to say that there were very few.

"So, what's going on with you and Kaiba?" Mai decided to change the subject; she and Ali hadn't had adequate catching-up time yet, anyway.

"We're consensual rivals."

"Like you and Mikhail?"

Ali faltered, her brown eyes snapped to the beautiful girl driving the car, "_No_! Nothing like that!" she was obviously disgusted, "And if you don't mind—no hot-lawyer-who-dumped-me talk, today."

Mai nodded quickly, she knew Ali well enough to know when she was genuinely bothered by something, and the Mikhail situation was bothering her.

After seeing the girl through most of her life since high school, Mai could say that she and the Russian were more like family than friends. They were never afraid to tell each other the truth.

"So… Joey, huh?"

"Meh… he's attractive."

"I guess…" Mai muttered, "He's just so… not your type."

"What are you talking about? He's totally my type… oh my God, slap me the next time I say something like that. But really—what do you mean?" Ali inquired, keeping her eyes trained on the American woman next to her.

Mai shrugged, "Well, hun, you tend to spend very little time with guys like Joey--"

"Oh that's not true, I date guys just like Joey all the time!"

"And it lasts for how long?" she paused for effect, "Isn't your current record six months? _Including_ your affairs with Mikhail."

"No lawyer talk…"

"You get my point."

Ali rolled her eyes and tugged at a stray strand of her thin hair. "Well since you know me so well—what is my type?"

Mai grinned, "Well your longest lasting… _thing_," she didn't think 'relationship' was the proper term. "…was with Mikhail. Not to mention the fixation you seem to have on doctors, lawyers, professors--"

"Get to the point, Mai."

"For someone so artsy and wild, you like to play it safe." Mai said, decidedly. "You play games with the fun guys, and you get attached to the serious guys."

"Ugh." Ali groaned, "Well maybe I should stop—the serious guys always screw me over.

"You trust too easily." Mai shrugged, "Be more careful, and I bet you could get something good."

"Look, Valentine, if someone like _you_ is still single in this world then what chance do girls like _me_ have?" Ali joked.

The American woman flashed a flawless smile, "Good point." She paused, "Is this place Kaiba's?"

"See the giant 'K' on the gates?"

"Shut up, Shvakova." Mai retorted, driving up to the gates and ringing the buzzer. "Do you think he'll let you in? You _did_ puke on him last night…"

"Ugh…" Ali groaned, for what felt like the millionth time that day. "Yeah, Joey told me about that. I have made a new rule for myself—frozen drinks and bad moods are not to be mixed."

Mai laughed, her beautiful falsetto laugh, "You should have known that years ago, didn't you learn your lesson when you--" she was cut off by a loud buzz as the gates began to open.

"Yes! Mokuba's home!" Ali cheered, "Seto doesn't usually let me in unless the kid is home."

"He doesn't?"

"Well he _does_ but he's always a huge bitch about it."

Mai rolled her eyes and drove her car forward to park it in front of the house. "Wow, nice place."

"Of course, God forbid Seto wouldn't have a house gorgeous enough to reflect him."

Mai smirked; she decided it wasn't the time to point out that her friend had just called the CEO gorgeous… however indirectly.

As the two walked the steps to the door Mai noticed that for someone potentially soon-to-be imprisoned, she didn't seem worried. Knowing her so well, Mai could only draw one conclusion…

She was up to no good.

Mokuba swung the door open before either of the blondes had a chance to knock, his slate coloured eyes were fixed immediately on Ali with a strange intensity.

"Uhm… hi…" was all the Russian managed to squeak out after meeting the boy's odd expression.

"_You're_ in trouble." He sighed, lightening his features.

"What? Did Seto tell you about… that… _thing_?"

"I was there!" the raven-haired child exclaimed. Ali sighed inwardly, she had thought the oldest Kaiba had informed his brother about her current mix up with the law.

"Oh, right. Don't worry—Seto will just yell at me and then things will be fine." She shrugged stepping past the kid and into the foyer, where she immediately kicked off her purple boots and discarded the jacket she was wearing. She grinned, noticing that the Christmas décor still filled the house.

"I would have thought Seto would have taken all this down by now?" she grinned, pointing at a nearby wreath.

"It's only Boxing Day." Mokuba pointed out.

"Yes, but you're related to Scrooge." Ali grinned, ruffling the child's hair.

Mai laughed lightly, making Mokuba turn to her for the first time. "Mai!" he smiled up at the American woman, and raising a hand to shake hers.

"Long time no see, huh?" Mai smiled back.

"I'm going to go find Sunshine, you guys mingle." Ali sighed, "If I'm not back in a week… call the cops."

Both of the others rolled their eyes as the Russian exited dramatically, to find the CEO's office.

Once she was at the door, the blonde frowned and cautiously, she pushed the door open.

Seto was, as per usual, seated behind his desk. Though, he wasn't working on his computer, but rather…

"Are you reading a book?" Ali asked, shocked. Aside from checking text for references, she had never seen the brunette reading for leisure.

Icy blue eyes shot up to meet her as she shut the door behind her and moved to sit on the corner of his desk, all the while remaining silent. She looked at the novel in his hands, surprised to see that the cover was tattered. She couldn't recall having ever seen the CEO with anything old.

"Hemingway?" she asked curiously, reading the cover. _For Whom the Bells Toll, Earnest Hemingway._

Seto didn't respond, only closed the book and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He cocked an eyebrow, indicating that he was waiting for something.

Ali sighed and rose from sitting on the desk; dramatically she stood directly across from him and bowed her head.

"Oh Seto, I thank you for keeping my soul from burning in the eternal fires of Hell. I give you my eternal servitude and devotion." She said dramatically. When she was done she looked up at the brunette, he didn't seem to have moved. "And I'm sorry for barfing on your shoes." She added, rolling her eyes.

"How was the meeting?" Seto asked, moving to pull out a folder.

"You have _extremely_ attractive lawyers."

"I didn't know you were attracted to fifty-year-old men."

"I meant the younger ones."

The CEO flipped a paper around so that she could see it clearly.

"What's this?"

"A contract."

Ali's eyes widened as they met with the CEO's. She had never particularly liked the word, anything that tied her to something freaked her out. Ali was not one to make a commitment.

"For… what?" she studied the paper, though the legal terms were flying over her head.

"For you to hand over your legal matters to my team of lawyers."

Seto watched as her face calmed down, she studied him with interest.

"You're going to help me?" she said it so quietly, it was almost a whisper. "I can handle things… I mean I'll be--"

"You will be imprisoned." He finished for her, handing a silver pen towards her. "Sign here." He pointed to one of the lines.

Taking it, Ali was fighting off the urge to smile madly. Seto Kaiba was helping her—he was doing something nice, regardless of how she treated him. She made a mental note to try harder to get along with him.

After she had scribbled her clumsy signature over the paper, she caught a glint in Seto eye. He lifted the paper and stood.

"Tip, Aldorina: read things before you sign them."

"What?" she sputtered, "But you already told me that--"

"Another tip: believe _none_ of what you hear, and _half _of what you see."

Ali could feel the confusion making her dizzy… or was that her blood sugar? She tried to remember if she had taken enough insulin considering what she drank the night before.

"What did I just sign?" she groaned. "Do you own my life? Am I working for you for the next year?"

"You're staying two-hundred feet away from me and my family." He smirked, self-satisfied.

Ali's face flushed with anger, "I _restraining order_, really? I would have thought you could do better." She threw herself up from the chair and stepped around the desk until she was inches away from him. She lifted her face to his, her eyebrows folded in rage.

"You asked for it." He replied, unaffected by the proximity.

"You'll never submit that to the courts." She tempted, keeping her voice steady and low.

"You must not know me as well as you think."

"I don't think _you_ even know yourself as well as you think."

Seto was angered by her words; it seemed she could always find a nerve. He tried to step around her, but was stopped by the small hands that thrust against his chest.

"You're being stupid. I said I was sorry… and I've done worse!" she sighed, Seto really was overacting this time. But she knew there was no way that he would keep her away from Mokuba.

Her thoughts were halted abruptly when a long hand wrapped tightly around her wrist. With strength that she couldn't have imagined him to possess, he yanked her away from him. Maybe if she had been expecting it, she would have been able to brace herself. But the blurred vision she had, added to the nausea thanks to the drinks she'd had the night before left her completely vulnerable.

Seto was surprised when she reeled back, tripped over her own feet and fell, hitting her head on the desk as she landed. In fact, he hadn't meant to do more than push her aside.

A light gasp escaped her lips as she lay on the floor, gripping her head in pain. She wanted to curse and pull herself up to yell at the CEO, but couldn't find the means to do any of that. Her head was spinning.

Seto was tempted to ignore the Russian and make his way from the study, but instead he sighed and dropped the papers back on his desk before kneeling before her.

"Let me see." He growled, reaching out and pulling her head towards him, she whimpered in pain which had a surprising affect on him. Instantly his grip lightened and he eased her face forward. He turned her head to the side and inspected the area where the desk had impacted with her skull.

"Ow." Was all she managed, as his fingers brushed against the tender spot.

"There's no blood, but there will be a bump later."

Ali turned to the CEO, realizing that their faces were barely an inch apart. Her brown eyes locked with his and she smirked lightly.

"Are you sure you want me away, and not… closer?" she mumbled, lifting a hand to grip Seto's shoulder, squeezing it lightly.

Seto watched her, truly he hadn't had any intention of _really_ keeping her away; it was just a new approach to scare her in to respecting him.

"Never saw you as an abusive guy, Sunshine…" she sighed.

"I'm not," the words escaped before he had thought them over. He watched as Ali cocked her head to the side and slowly leaned forward to rest her chin against his cheek so that her lips were too close to his ear.

Her breathing was light and Seto could smell her hair, cigarette smoke and wildflowers… hardly an alluring scent, but for no explainable reason he found it… fascinating.

Because it was purely Ali. No perfume or hair products like most other women. Just Ali, cigarettes and flowers, good and bad… no promises, no let downs.

Ali's lips were parted, she _had_ been leaning in to say something, but the words had left her when she felt Seto shift—so lightly she almost thought she imagined it—so that his body was closer to hers. Dropping his defensive stance.

She was thankful he couldn't see her face because the sudden warmth that spread across her cheeks was sure to have colour. She bit down on her lip to keep her breathing from increasing. She guessed that the sudden fire pulsing through her veins was entirely one-sided after all the CEO seemed completely calm.

There was a heavy silence, as the tension settled over them. Ali didn't want to move, because of the delightful heat rushing through her, and Seto _wanted_ to pull away but couldn't manage it. Slowly, the hand that had been gripping his shoulder crept up and slid up the back of his neck.

Ali gasped lightly as she weaved her fingers through the smooth chestnut strands. She wanted to pull his hair until his head was far enough back that she could get her lips on his, and…

"OH GOD!" the Russian screamed, jumping up suddenly. The movement hurt her head, and stomach but she disregarded it. She felt her face twist into horror as she realized what she had _wanted_. This was Seto Kaiba—she hated him.

Seto's reaction was much the same, though he rose with much more grace and none of the noise. Quickly he turned from the blonde, and dropped the restraining order into the waste basket nearby.

"The keys for your apartment are on the coffee table. It's ready now." He said indifferently, not turning to face her. If he had, he would have seen her nod and dart from the room.

--

"I can't get over how amazing this place is!" Mai exclaimed looking around the condo, from where she and her friend sat.

"Yeah…" Ali agreed, also staring around. It was no longer the empty space with potential. It had been fully furnished, down to pictures on the wall. The black leather couch the two currently sat on was big enough for five people and wrapped around a corner of the living room. It was more than she had expected. "I hate the dragon, though…" she muttered, eyeing the large painting of a blue eyes white dragon that hung on the wall opposite, above the large television—which Ali had squealed in delight when she saw.

"I like it."

"I hate dragons…" the Russian grumbled.

"No I meant this one." Mai held up a glossy photo. There were stacks of photos covering the glass coffee table next to the couch. Mai was in Japan for the week to do a promotional photo shoot for the line of shoes she was releasing.

Contrary to what most people thought of the American duellist, she hated modelling. This fuelled her decision to _design _rather than _display_ clothing. Fashion was something she loved, but parading around as a clothing rack was not her forte.

Ali studied the picture, a rail-thin brunette sitting on a concrete bench wearing a purple sundress and a pair of lovely silver heels.

"Mediocre." She stated. "These suck, Mai."

"Ugh, I know. My photographer is a loser; the shoots he sets up are boring." Mai fumed. "But I don't do advertising, I just make shoes."

"Well, I have an idea." Ali volunteered. "The line is called 'Kink' but there is _nothing_ kinky about the way you're presenting them. I think the girls should be wearing trench coats and your shoes… and that's it."

"Go on…" Mai prompted.

"And have them in a public setting, grinning into the camera mischievously. What's kinkier than being naked under your coat?"

"With a pair of fabulous shoes." The American finished. "I like it…"

Ali shrugged and smiled, "Talk to your photographer about it."

Mai grinned and pulled her friend into a hug. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Ali quipped, moving to stand up. However she was stopped by Mai.

"Okay, what's going on, hun?"

"What do you mean?"

"You ran out of Kaiba's house like it was on fire. You've been too serious all day, and now rather than gloat on your good idea… you're being modest."

Ali stared back at her friend's sparkling blue eyes. She was trying to decide if she should tell her friend what happened in Seto's study, or not… what was the point in telling her anything when it had all been one-sided? Seto hadn't even touched her.

"You're thinking about Kaiba." Mai decided.

"Mind-reading bitch…" Ali growled leaning into the back of the couch. "How do you do that?"

"You're not the most well-guarded person. Plus you do this all the time. Now tell me what's going on."

"Nothing is going on. Seto and I are just two people who happen to be in Mokuba's life and see each other from time-to-time." Ali sputtered.

"And he bought you a new place."

"I was homeless."

"And he pays for your lawyers."

"Mokuba would be so sad if I went to jail!"

"And you can't be in the same building as him without talking to him."

"Okay, that's not true!" Ali rolled her eyes.

"No? Why did we go to his house?"

"To get the laptop Mokuba got me." Ali said pointedly.

"And… that is, _where _now?"

Ali was about to open her mouth to reply, but it hit her that she had completely forgotten about the machine the second her opened the door to Seto's office. She hadn't even brought it back to her new place.

"I think you like him." Mai teased.

"I don't _like_ guys, I _want_ them."

"Well then why don't you just go for him like you do with other guys?"

"Fine!" Ali snapped, standing from the couch. "I will!"

"Ali?"

"What?!"

"Your phone is ringing."

"Oh." Ali scrambled to slide open her phone once she had lifted it from the coffee table. The second the voice on the other line spoke, her jaw dropped in shock.

"What do you _mean_ you're in town?!"

* * *

TBC

R&R  
KC.


	21. The Right Colour

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **21

**Title:** The Right Colour

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**NOTE: Funny thing happened; this chapter was ready to go, but then I totally forgot about it. So I was out for a walk and I saw someone with a coffee mug that had 'Mocuba' written on it. I immediately though **_**'hey that's kinda like Mokuba,'**_** and then I realized that I had forgotten about this. So I got back to my room yanked my laptop out of my suitcase and got this up for you all. **

* * *

"So, tell me again why you didn't call first?"

"Darling, when we try to plan visits you always tell us you're busy." A kind older man explained, resting his hand on Ali's shoulder. They were just entering the foyer of her apartment building and making their way to the elevator. "I'm tired of being neglected by my own daughter."

Ali looked up into her fathers matching dark eyes; he was smiling kindly at her. Anyone who looked at the family could see that Ali got her features from David; the dark eyes, the short body, even the freckles that were sprinkled across her face. The only thing that she had really inherited from her mother was the blonde colour of her hair, and even then it was limp and lifeless, textured like her father.

"And we didn't want to give you time to clean. I want to see how my child is truly living." Her mother added, the thick Russian accent she possessed distorting her words. If not for that fact that Mai was in their presence they would all have been speaking Russian; even Ali's all-American father.

Ali eyed her mother; Karina Shvakova was a conservative woman, always brutally honest—true to her culture—and more beautiful than anyone had the right to be. Even at forty, she looked too young to have a daughter of eighteen. Her perfect height and lovely body that curved in all the right places, made it so that all eyes were always on her. The cascading tresses of blonde that fell over her shoulders were _never_ out of place. Even the hard look in her pale blue eyes could be overlooked when the rest of her beautiful face was studied.

Ali always believed that if she looked like her mother she would single-handedly rule the universe.

"Well I wish you would have called, I'm busy…" the teen grumbled, letting her dad drape an arm over her shoulders as they exited the elevator on Ali's floor.

"Do you live here?" her father asked as they walked down the elegant hallway.

"Mhm."

"Where did you get the money to pay for an apartment in this building?"

"A lady never discusses money, it's tacky." Karina interjected, Ali hated it when her mother said things of the sort, but in this case she was happy to be off-the-hook from having to tell her father… or more like, lie to him.

David nodded, but sent his daughter a glance that indicated he wouldn't drop the subject for long.

"Here we are." Mai moved to the door at the end of the hall, she knew that Ali would never remember which door was hers after just moving in. Even if the door number was written on her set of keys. The American woman opened the door and entered ahead of the rest of them.

"Ali?" a child called from the living room. Immediately Ali recognized the voice as Mokuba's, though she couldn't imagine what he was doing in her apartment—or how he got in, for that matter—but she wished that he wasn't there.

The raven-haired boy darted around the corner, but stopped in his tracks when he saw that she had company.

"Oh." He gasped, "I just came to bring you your computer. But you were gone so I decided to look around with Seto and--"

"Seto?" Ali's father raised an eyebrow and glanced in her direction. "There is a boy."

"No!" Ali cried, yanking out of his grasp, "I mean… he _is_ a boy. But not _my_ boy." She sputtered desperately. The knowledge that the CEO was in her apartment made her strangely nervous.

As if on cue the brunette stepped out from the kitchen, he was holding a bottle of water in one hand, and his navy trench coat draped over the other arm. He looked Ali over before eyeing her parents and Mai.

Naturally social, her father stepped forward with a hand outreached for Seto's. Even though he was almost as short as Ali, and therefore dwarfed by standing next to the CEO.

"David Jones." He and Seto shook hands, "I'm Ali's father."

Seto cocked an eyebrow, but introduced himself also. "Seto Kaiba."

"Oh." David pulled his hand away, "Well… that's… _interesting_." He turned to his daughter who was massaging her temples as if she could feel an oncoming headache. Mai was patting her back lightly, understanding the girl's stress. "I don't remember you mentioning that you were involved with Seto Kaiba, darling."

"I'm _not_ in love with Seto Kaiba!" Ali jerked her face up and sent her dad a hideous glare.

"Ali…" Mai muttered into her friend's ear, "he said 'involved'."

"Oh… oh!" Ali squirmed, hoping that her outburst hadn't been taken the wrong way. "Uh… yeah, I work for him…" she paraphrased. It wasn't a complete lie. She taught Mokuba, and had been helping Seto out in return for the condo.

Although, the files he had given her to look over were in a dumpster outside of Joey's apartment, thanks to a fit if frustration.

"Wow, kid… you have a job?" the shock in David's voice wasn't disguised in the slightest, which insulted Ali.

"Well… I—I… uh…"

"Ladies do not stutter, Aldorina." Karina scolded; the suddenly spoken words brought Seto's eyes to the woman.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." He stated in a sickeningly charming voice as he stepped toward the Russian lady. "And who might you be?"

"Karina Shvakova, Aldorina's mother." She lifted her gaze to the CEO. Blue eyes sparkling as she smiled politely.

"Really… I wouldn't have guessed."

"Oh ha-ha Seto, it's a wonder you're a CEO and not a comedian."

"Ali!" David hissed, nudging his daughter, "Manners."

"B-But he's a jerk!" she defended, appalled that her family was taking the side of her sworn enemy.

Another glare from her father sent the young blonde off in a storm; she rounded the corner into the kitchen.

"We should go, Mokuba." Seto said blandly, motioning for the child to follow him.

"No, on behalf of my daughter I would like to ask you to join us for dinner." Karina bowed her head lightly. Seto immediately wondered how someone so polite could have raised such a snot-nosed brat.

"I don't know if that's a good id--"

"We'd love to." Seto cut off Mokuba's excuse, earning him a confused glance from the boy. The older couple nodded and followed their daughter into the kitchen leaving the Kaiba brother's alone with Mai.

She studied the CEO's face with a smirk, "Well now, _this_ will be entertaining." She drawled, turning on her heel to make her way into the living room.

--

Ali gasped for breath in between mouthfuls of her mother's cooking. It felt like years since she had eaten good, traditional Russian food. The sound of her father's throat clearing was what eventually stopped her gorging.

"Darling, we haven't even said grace yet…" David said, softly. It was clear that he had never-ending patience for his daughter. Karina, however, looked like she would die of embarrassment.

"Oh… sorry, daddy." Ali blinked. "I'm not used to saying grace…"

"You should be," her mother interjected. Ali only rolled her eyes and pushed her plate away from herself and folded her hands in front of herself, Mokuba and Mai did the same while Seto only lowered his eyes.

David began reciting a prayer in Russian, though he spoiled the language with a heavy American accent. The table wasn't really big enough to fit them all, so extra chairs were packed around the table.

Ali was jammed between Seto and Mai, Mokuba sat at Seto's other side and the older couple sat opposite them on the round kitchen table.

Once the prayer was through Ali immediately returned to eating avidly.

"Well, Mariah—how have you been?" Karina asked, glancing over her plate at Mai.

"It's Mai, mom. You should know that—you've known her for years." Ali frowned through a mouthful of food.

"I have been great, Mrs. Shvakova. Started a clothing line, and I'm doing quite well… I'm not Gucci, yet, but it's just starting out."

"That's nice dear." Karina's dismissive response heavily implied that she hadn't really listened to what had been said. Ali didn't seem to notice, though, she was almost finished devouring her food.

"It's a plate, not a trough." Seto murmured in her ear, not loud enough for anyone else to hear. Not over the conversation Mai and David were having, at least.

His only answer was a fork jabbed into his knee as Ali reached out and plucked a roll off of his plate.

"That was the only thing I actually _wanted_ to eat." He drawled, rolling his eyes. He still hadn't taken a bite so far.

"My moms cooking would put Shardi's to shame." She declared, though remembered the white chocolate tiramisu trifle she'd had her first night in the mansion, and wondered if they were not on par. "Just eat," she shook her head, fending off the internal argument.

"So Ali, you're helping Mai with her photo shoot?" Mokuba chimed, turning his head away from the conversation he had been having with the American woman and Ali's father.

"Uh… no…" Ali sent a questioning look toward her friend.

"Well I haven't actually told her yet…" Mai sighed, "But I was hoping you'd be on set to make sure it matches your vision."

"My _vision_?" Ali looked utterly shocked, "I don't _have_ visions for photo shoots! I write mediocre commercial music—it's the only thing I'm remotely good at." She whined loudly.

"If me and my photographers like your ideas you could be hired on full time. Depending on the success of _Valentine_ you could be looking at a six-figure salary after only a few years. But is you don't want to…" Mai said monotonously. She knew Ali, and all that she really needed to say was 'six-figure salary'.

"Sold!" Ali cheered, pumping her fist into the air.

"Wait, what is it that you're going to be doing, Aldorina?" Karina asked, once she had swallowed her bite of food, of course.

Surprisingly, Ali also waited until she had swallowed. Seto was shocked at this; he had seen the blonde shove an entire cupcake into her mouth and still continue on with a conversation without pausing. Perhaps it was some kind of habitual manoeuvre in regard to her mother.

"Uh… well I don't know in the long run…" she looked toward Mai, "But for this shoot, at least, I get to dress up pretty girls and tell them where to stand." She grinned.

"Well that sounds promising." Her mother snorted.

"I'm proud of you, pumpkin." David tried to overrule his wife's disapproval.

"I wish you had gone in to child services… you would have been so good." Karina sighed.

"Kari…" her husband warned.

"No, David, she needs to hear it. She had potential and she chose substance abuse and chasing that _boy_ around the globe." The Russian woman hissed.

Seto felt Ali shift closer her him, subtly, of course, and her shoulders wilted just as slightly. It didn't take a mind reader to see the emotion dancing behind her eyes. Shame.

"Aldorina, where about is the washroom?" The CEO asked, loud enough for everyone to hear him. Brown eyes flicked up and met his.

"But you…" she trailed off seeing a glint behind the icy blue, "I'll show you."

Both teens stood from the table and left the kitchen.

"She's doing it again." Karina grumbled.

"Seto Kaiba is a respectable man." David defended, though he looked sceptical.

"The Shvakova's were good people, too, but Mikhail destroyed her life."

"Sweetie, it's easy to blame Mikhail—and yes, he was bad for her—but he's not entirely to blame for her problems."

"He still reminds me of Mikhail."

Seto shut Ali's bedroom door softly after they entered together. Ali was already sitting on the bed with her thumb and forefinger pinching the bridge of her nose and she looked as if she would chew her lip off.

"Thanks." She muttered, lying back on the bed. "I needed a breather."

The bed was a real work of art, and Ali's favourite part of the condo. The frame was cast iron, probably manufactured in the Victorian era, small vines were crafted into the headboard and painted silver. The dressing was an ivory whit duvet with matching pillow cases. She decided that either Seto had a flair for decorating, or hired someone who did.

Most likely the latter.

"Hn." The brunette grunted looking out the window and taking in the fair view of the area surrounding. He could see his mansion in the distance.

"My mother… she's very… traditional. Very Russian," she sighed, "which is how she ended up with Lancifer and Aldorina…" she winced lightly at her twin's name. "I don't think she'll ever respect anything I do."

"Do you ever do anything worth respecting?"

Her eyes fixed in Seto and narrowed, "I try, Sunshine, I try."

"I know."

The CEO took a step closer to the bed and for a moment just paused to look at the blonde, her face was clearly upset. He pondered back on the days when no matter what he did Gozaburo would never see it as enough. It was a pain they shared.

Maybe Seto had it worse, but it didn't matter at this point.

Before he registered it, he was sitting on the side of the bed with her. Slowly she sat up from her laying-down position and, somehow casually, rested her cheek on his shoulder.

Ali didn't know why, but being closer to Seto made her feel slightly less destructible. Probably because the closer she was, the less likely it was that someone would try to hurt her, being backed by the billionaire.

His first reaction was to jerk away, but let her rest on him. Silence fell between them, and he was reminded of that morning, her hands on his neck, her breath in his ear. Her frantic scream and escape act.

"Explain this morning." He demanded suddenly.

Ali pulled away and kept her face down, "What's to explain?"

"You."

Ali stared at the brunette, his stone-hard face. She felt a twinge of guilt, why was he anywhere near her when she only caused him discomfort? She remembered her conversation with Mai, earlier. Hadn't she agreed to attempt to bed Seto Kaiba?

Normally the challenge would have excited her—and she was sure it would when she was in a better mood—but at the moment she was still getting over the fiery feeling in her cheek where it had rested on the CEO's shoulder.

"I was tired… not thinking straight." She muttered, it wasn't a straight out lie, but it was an excuse that could apply to any given moment. When did she _ever_ think straight?

"Of course." Seto said quietly. He genuinely hadn't been able to decipher her earlier actions, and her reasoning seemed plausible enough. He momentarily wished that he'd had more social interaction as a child, maybe then he would be able to read people in non-business situations.

Lost in his thought, the brunette barely noticed when Ali reached out and touched his wrist lightly.

"Is that… a scar?" she questioned, keeping her eyes on his upper wrist, just below the back of his hand.

Seto frowned; he'd gone so far as to have cosmetic surgery on that scar. All that was left was a slightly lighter tint in a light band around his wrist. Most people didn't notice it at all.

Before he could tell her to stop touching him, she did again. A chaste kiss against the scar, her dry lips barely brushed the skin at all, leaving Seto to wonder if he'd imagined it.

Reflexively he yanked his hand away and stood up.

"They're going to wonder…" he trailed off, reaching for the door.

"I'm sorry." Ali said, sincerely, "For the things that happened to you… not what did." She added, frowning.

"Okay." Was all the CEO could think to say at the moment, as he stepped from the room and into the war-zone that was the kitchen, he subtly dragged his nails across the skin on his wrist.

It felt like it was on fire.

* * *

Oh god… that was so sappy! Ugh, I am ashamed. Just so you guys know—this will not be a sap story, it won't get any sappier than that. Well, this hasn't really been proofed… I'm on vacation, so I don't feel like mulling over grammar and spelling. You'll get the point of the story either way.

Hope you liked it.

REVIEW!

KASUMIEATSSOYBEANS


	22. Solve Your own Puzzle

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **22

**Title:** Solve Your Own Puzzle

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

* * *

"'Ya couldn't 'a just taken _my_ car, huh, moneybags?"

"Can it, Mutt."

Joey opened his mouth to respond, but thanks to a look that just screamed 'I dare you' from Seto, he only scowled and stared out the window of the backseat.

Seto was driving a new black Volvo—a Christmas present from Mokuba, much to Joey's dismay—and his younger brother was seated in the passenger seat, leaving the Brooklyn blonde in the back seat. Not knowing Ali's new address her boyfriend had stopped by the Kaiba's mansion to get directions only to have Mokuba suggest they all visit.

It had only been two days since the uncomfortable dinner with Ali's parents, and the child seemed to miss his tutor—turned source for entertainment. Though, he hadn't been too crazy about her parents, muttering something about 'rude assumptions' after the dinner.

The raven-haired boy twirled a stray lock of hair between his fingers thoughtfully.

"Do you think that David and Karina will still be there?" he asked no one in particular as he stared through the windshield at the quickly approaching condos.

"I dunno, do 'ya know if Mai'll still be around?" Joey replied, "_That's_ the building?" he gasped once he had comprehended their destination.

"Yep." Mokuba chirped, not catching the underlying tone of hurt.

Seto glanced briefly at the blonde through his rear-view mirror and caught the teen looking sadly at the building. For the first time, the CEO realized that Joey could be jealous of his girlfriend's apparent closeness with him.

"See something 'ya like?" Joey frowned, catching the blue eyes in the mirror, "Ali did say 'ya were too pretty to be straight," he paused, thoughtfully, "then again… she didn't even tell me her 'rents were in town—and you already met 'em." He shook his head as the Volvo pulled into the parking lot.

Mokuba hopped from the car quickly, sensing the nearly-tangible tension between his brother and his friend. The CEO soon followed and Joey slunk out last. They were all silent as they stepped in the elevator and made their way to Ali's door at the farthest end of the hall.

Mokuba knocked nervously and paused for an answer.

Almost immediately Karina ripped the door open, her mouth agape and ready to speak.

"Oh—it's you." She eyed Seto with a strange hostility in her eyes, before turning to stride back into the living room. The CEO noticed that it was an odd display of rudeness; maybe he had given the older woman too much credit for her conservative politeness.

"Thanks for the warm welcome." Joey muttered stepping in after her, followed by the brothers. "Geeze, moneybags—you really outdid yourself." He growled, looking around the lovely apartment.

Shrugging Seto stepped into the living room where Karina was seated on the couch next to David who was chewing his nails and glancing around the room.

"Is everything alright?" Mokuba asked tentatively; immediately aware of the strange air in the room. Karina's sky-blue eyes shot up and rested on the child before studying Joey.

Again, Seto was struck by the disturbing beauty that she was blessed with. Nothing about her seemed out of place. She would have been the face of perfection, if not for the annoyed look she seemed to have eternally etched across her lovely features.

"You are?" she snapped at Joey.

After a moment of shocked silence, the teen bowed his head, "Joseph Wheeler." He answered, a flush finding its way over his cheeks. It was obvious that Karina's beauty had not gone unnoticed.

"Oh, David, isn't this lovely? _Another_ American boy." She drawled, turning on her heel to sit down next to her husband, again. The dark-haired man eyed his wife with exasperation but quickly smiled warmly.

"If I remember correctly, you also have a soft-spot for America boys."

Karina glared at the man, clearly unimpressed by his attempt at making the situation better. Apologetically, David rose to his feet and closed his eyes. After a moment to regain composure he spoke.

"Yesterday afternoon, Mai took Ali to the photo shoot. We're not exactly sure where they are right now…"

Joey was the one to gasp out loud, quickly followed by Mokuba's small squeak of worry. Seto, however, was not the least bit shocked.

"Not to mention," Karina sighed with a voice that suggested she was ready to rag on her daughter, "that those models have access to all sorts of… _substances_." She said the last word pointedly, clearly censoring her statement for Mokuba's sake.

"'Ya mean…" Joey's eyes widened. "Not with Mai. Mai'll keep her in line." He said convincingly. Seto wondered if Joey knew about Ali's tendency to fall into ruts of drug use, or perhaps her unfaithful habits? Maybe both, judging by the crestfallen look he was attempting to hide.

"Well either way, if she keeps this up—she'll wind up pregnant faster than she can fathom." The woman snapped back.

"You know, there _are_ worse things that can happen to her. Like AIDS, for example." David tried to defend his only child—now—but only earned a glare from his wife. For the first time Seto understood what Ali had meant, months ago when she told him that her parents were too wrapped up in a failing marriage to truly be there for her.

"You would let her get away with murder." Karina hissed.

Karina was opening her mouth, ready to throw in something else, but the sound of the front door slamming shut stopped her.

Everyone's ears tuned quickly to the sounds coming down the hall nearing the living room—shuffled steps and dizzy laughter. Ali's laugh was clear along with Mai's.

"You gotta have it, take it, shake it!" Ali shouted in a sing-song voice as she stepped through the door way before the young woman.

It was a given that nearly every person in the room had something to say to the Russian teen but no one managed to get a word out. All eyes trained on the blonde in shock.

Her face was chalky with fatigue, but that was normal. What caught everyone off guard was her… attire.

Her hair was combed down and looked as if it had been caked with hairspray and glitter. Seto immediately thought of a preteen girl with bad fashion sense. Her cheeks were glittery, too, over the pasty freckled skin. She was wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt which hugged her average body down to the knees and was a blinding shade of neon green—entirely unflattering on her—over a ripped pair of black jeans, covered with silver sparkles.

Mai wasn't nearly as over-done, but managed a classy, yet untouchably beautiful look in a black skirt and red tank.

"Where have the two of you been?!" Ali's mother snapped.

Ali's dark eyes scanned the room, taking in all the guests in her house. "Oh calm down. It was a great shoot and we all went out to celebrate." She frowned when she saw Joey. "What are you doing here?"

"Did ya not want me here?"

Ali narrowed her eyes, picking up on the near hostile voice the American was speaking to her with. Seto searched through his memory trying to remember what reason Joey had given for wanting to show up at Ali's apartment. He realized that the blonde hadn't given a reason.

"You look like you had fun, darling." David interjected; he rose to stand in front of his daughter, "Did you?"

"Of course, daddy." Ali smiled, it seemed that she and her father were on friendly terms, at least she had someone. "The models were great, and we got everything done in way less time than we had planned, so we all went dancing."

"That's nice."

"It was." She turned back to her boyfriend, "Can I see you in my bedroom for sec?"

Karina snorted, but no one paid much attention. Both teens left the room, not even exchanging a glance. Mai left, too, probably to take a shower.

"So, Mr. Kaiba, is Kaiba Corp. down for the holidays?" David asked, trying to make a friendly conversation.

"No. I am going in soon." The brunette eyed his brother, implying that they should leave soon, though he knew Mokuba wouldn't go anywhere until he got to talk to Ali a little.

"And you… what was your name?" the older American asked, smiling at the child.

"Mokuba." He smiled back.

"Mokuba, do you think that you will be following in your brother's footsteps?" David obviously didn't realize what a delicate issue this had become between the brothers. Seto wanted nothing more than for his brother to be happy. But half-hoped he would be happy to help run the company when he was old enough for the commitment.

Mokuba giggled, "Like Ali always says, always do what makes you, yourself."

"When had Ali ever said that?" Karina asked coldly.

"I was paraphrasing." Mokuba frowned; it seemed that he had taken an instant dislike to the woman.

David looked helplessly between the child and the woman he loved. It was clear who he agreed with and who he didn't want to argue with. Luckily, Ali and Joey returned at that moment.

"That was quick." Karina pointed out.

"We just had to…er…talk about something." Ali responded, shiftily. "And he's going to go now."

"I'll just walk back to moneybags' castle, it's close enough an' my car's there." Joey said, also displaying awkwardness.

"Uh… see you…" Ali moved closer to him, but then stopped and stepped back. "Uh…" she held her hand out. Joey took in and smiled crookedly, "See ya 'round Glitter Monster."

Ali rolled her eyes, and instantly the strange tension was gone. "Go home Wheeler."

"'Kay, call me if ya ever wanna hang out."

And the American left the condo, and Seto had a fairly good idea of what had happened between the two. Though he was confused as to the way they eased into what looked like the early stages of friendship.

"Mokie, after I get out of these clothes I want you to help me with ad music." She grinned, "Mai is putting me in charge of that, and I thought it would be a good lesson for you."

"Okay!" Mokuba grinned up at the blonde teen.

--

"Mokuba! Why didn't you tell me that you could sing like a cherub!?" Ali cried, gawking at the blushing boy. He was seated at the piano next to the blonde who was playing a soft ballad, not thinking Mokuba had begun to sing along.

"I… didn't know…"

"Is there anything you _can't _do?" Ali whined, closing the key cover over the piano and rising from the bench.

"Uhm…" Mokuba stuttered.

"Damn Kaiba genes…" she grumbled, "Speaking of which, when is your brother coming home? It's getting kinda late." She glanced up at the clock of the music room, it was a little past nine and the brunette still remained at the office.

Mokuba shrugged, "He probably has a lot to do after the holidays."

Ali twirled around the room, she had downed more coffee than even Seto that day—after a night of dancing and a day with Mokuba—and couldn't seem to sit still for long. Her hair was still caked with hairspray and glitter but tied into a ponytail, though she had washed her face and changed into her usual casual-mess clothing.

"I'm going to call him." She chirped making a move toward her black bag which held her cell phone. Though the moment she did music exploded from the device.

'_I'm the fuckin' King of the world,  
Get on your knees.  
I'm the fuckin' King of the world,  
Do as I please.'_

The blonde fumbled for a moment until she managed to slide the phone open.

"Uh, hi Seto."

Immediately Mokuba broke down into a fit of laughter. Of course Ali would use such a song to make a point of Seto calling.

"_Behave yourself." _The ever-cold voice of Seto said smoothly.

"Huh?" Ali faltered, "I'm not doing anything wrong!" But her words were cut off by the click of the other line hanging up.

"What's he say?" Mokuba inquired, not shocked by the short conversation. Seto had never been one to make long, personal calls.

"I don't know…" Ali murmured, "I don't _get_ him." She frowned. "Are you supposed to be in bed, or something?"

"Yeah, I should probably go to bed…" the child sighed, "G'night Ali."

Ali smiled, "You're such a good kid…" and she pulled him into her arms, still smiling as she smelled the ever-present scent of gardenia. Quickly she placed a chaste kiss on his forehead, "Night."

Her chocolate eyes watched as Mokuba skipped from the room, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Once he was out of the hall and on his way to his room in the next wing, Ali grabbed her bag. As quietly as she could—_barely_ making as much noise as a falling piano—she tip-toed down the stairs.

Once she was in the living room she heard the front door open, she frowned and glanced at the cigarette in her hand. Seto got annoyed when she smoked in the house, but never really _did_ anything about it. Shrugging she took another drag.

Moments later the CEO stepped into the room, followed closely by a man in his mid-forties—probably—holding a black briefcase. Ali stared for a moment, she _definitely _knew that man's face from somewhere…

"No!" she gasped, it had meant to be a loud, defiant protest, but a small squeak seemed to be all that she could manage. "Why… Seto?" she turned her bewildered face towards the CEO, his blue eyes were hard.

"Aldorina, this is--"

"I _know_ who he is!" she gasped. How could she forget the man who was defending Takao Kijiou? How could she forget the man who was trying to keep pure evil from being locked away where he belonged? "Why is he here?"

"Reiki Komoro is a vital asset to Kaiba Corporation." Seto said smoothly, "He is here to pick up the annual sales report."

Ali brown eyes stared fixed on the CEO, before flickering to the light hair and green eyes belonging to his guest… her rival.

"Ali, I was thinking you'd gone into hiding," Reiki's voice was coated with a dangerous sweetness, "still planning on using your illegal evidence to win over the jury?" he chuckled.

The Russian hissed quietly, "It's not illegal."

"Evidence stolen, is not admissible in court." The man chimed, "Of course, your lovely Mikhail knows that… but didn't you fire him, and throw away any chance of succeeding through this?"

Seto's eyebrows raised, "Ali will be represented by the company's lawyers."

"Is that _really _in your best interest, Mr. Kaiba? You wouldn't want your pristine reputation ruined by trying to keep a…kidnapper out of punishment."

Ali bit hard on her bottom lip, Reiki was right and she knew that Seto would recognize that. Anything involving the young CEO became a public matter. She could already feel the cameras on her, news crews interviewing her, newspapers bashing Seto. Something similar to guilt crept in to her chest… was he really ready to deal with all that just to protect her?

"As one of Kaiba Corp's shareholders, you are welcome to be concerned for the company's wellbeing. If you are worried about the effects of my choices, I suggest that you sell the stocks and get out before January fifth, when the trail takes place." The brunette said pointedly. His response was only a frown from the older man. Seto stepped through the living room and into his study, most likely to retrieve the report.

"It is my job to protect Mr. Kijiou, Ali, that is the only reason I have for treating you this way." He said it with such sincerity that Ali couldn't help but falter. "You seem like a genuinely caring young woman. I apologize for any pain the coming weeks will cause you, but I cannot allow you to win this."

"I'm not asking for your permission…" Ali murmured, she wanted to argue rudely, but not having the CEO near made her feel strangely unprotected.

As if being called back by Ali's vulnerable thought pattern, Seto stepped back into the living room and wordlessly handed Reiki the sales report. The older man nodded his head thankfully, while the CEO held totally still, until the sound of Mr. Komoro's car could be heard pulling from the driveway.

Ali stood and stepped slowly to where Seto was standing, watching her with little interest.

"Thank y--"

"I'm not doing it for you." He said, with a sudden biting anger.

"It doesn't make me any less thankful…" Ali pouted. There was a long silence between the two for a moment before the blonde spoke again, "So… annual sales report? Is that good?"

"It wasn't the sales report."

"Huh?" Ali cocked her head, "What do you mean?"

"It was my statement, declining testifying against you."

"They… they asked you to testify against me?" Ali squeaked, would Seto speak against her? Would he pledge her insanity?

"Calm down, Shvakova," he snapped looking at her worried face, "Like I said, I declined. Though you are not the most mentally-sound person I have ever come across, I definitely do not believe that you did this to harm anyone. Perhaps your judgments weren't the best, but--"

He was cut off as Ali jumped and swung her arms around his neck, pulling him down lightly. She squeezed him tightly, hanging off his shoulders. "Thank you, thanks for understanding…" she muttered. Seto didn't move against her, she wasn't surprised, through she mentally wished that he would at least pat her back or something to let her know that he cared.

Her thoughts hazed as her nose moved closer to the chestnut locks, not quite touching his shoulders. They were sending the cool scent of mints and lime with a hint of coriander into her nose. Instinctively she loosened her grip, and pulled back until she could just see into his eyes.

Her conversation with Mai the day before rang clearly into her ears, she was _sure_ that she didn't have feelings for Seto. So it shouldn't have made her nervous when she contemplated running her hand through his delicious-smelling hair. Yet it did. And even though there was nothing intimate about the annoyed glare he was giving her, the blue of his eyes were sending sparks through her blood stream.

"Let go." He ordered, coolly.

"'Kay." But she didn't move a millimetre away from him.

For a moment they just studied each other, Ali was sure that she was dull in comparison to his flawless face, looking like he had been carved out of the palest marble. She watched as his eyes focused on hers, his pupils changing unnoticeably under the lights. His lips were loose and she could see his depressingly straight, white teeth behind them.

Before her thoughts could wander to what his teeth would feel like dragging along her skin, the brunette jerked away from her with hostile grace. It didn't stop the burning in her veins, though. Her fingertips were burning. A lot.

Suddenly Ali shrieked, realizing that the burning could be entirely blamed on the cigarette between her fingers. Quickly she dropped it into the soda can on the table and stuck her fingers in her mouth, she had forgotten about it, letting it burn to the butt in her hand. Seto's lips twitched into a deeper frown as he noticed stray ashes staining the sleeve of his white suit.

"Stop smoking in my house." He repeated, for the millionth time, turning up the staircase to change his clothes.

"'Kay…" Ali sighed, though once he was out of sight she immediately snatched the pack from her bag and lit another. "But only if you stop making me want to…" she added under he breath.

* * *

Review! If I get enough reviews, I'll be putting up video responses on my blog. Wouldn't that be fun? You guys are lovely, many apologies for the wait!

KC.


	23. Solo Acts Are SO Last Season

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **23

**Title:** Solo Acts Are So Last Season

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time. (A Seto/OC fic.)

**NOTE: The video-responses are up, check my homepage for info.**

* * *

Ali's eyes fluttered open, a soft beam of sunlight had found its way to her eyelids, waking her in the gentlest possible way. She rolled over in her bed, letting her face run over the ivory satin sheets softly smiling to herself. She stretched her arms over her head and felt the satisfying pop of her spine cracking in to place.

As she sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed, she couldn't help but feel happy. Even with all the coming events, promising to give her a headache—at least, in the best possible scenario—she could always count on mornings like this, sun shining over her face.

She let her feet fall onto the wood floor, shuddering lightly as they felt around for the fluffy-bunny slippers she'd been using since she was in the eighth grade—she hadn't grown much since that point in her life. Yawning again, she stood up and dragged herself from the room and into the small hall that connected with the living room, meaning to stop at the washroom along the way.

Yes, some mornings were just so lovely that they could only lead to a good day. No nightmares, an easy wake-up at a decent hour, being lulled awake by the sound of someone strumming on a guitar.

Wait… what?

Ali stopped in her tracks, hearing someone in her living room playing an acoustic guitar with skill. Her breath hitched in her throat, she knew that Mai had decided to stay at a hotel that night… and even then, the American woman couldn't play an instrument to save her life. As quietly as she could, the blonde peeked around the corner at the end of the hall.

"Oh, hi Ali. I was wondering when you'd wake up." Mokuba chirped, staring at her over the guitar in his hands.

Ali exhaled loudly, clutching her chest dramatically.

"Damnit, kid! What the hell are you doing here so early!?"

Mokuba just blinked off her angry response, "Seto is at work, and I was bored. Since you live close now, I decided to come." He shrugged as if it was the most natural thing in the world. His slate eyes studied Ali, she had _definitely _just woken up.

Her hair was tousled as if she had rubbed a balloon over it and then smeared gel unevenly in. She was still in her pyjamas, which consisted of a white wife-beater and a pair of blue boxer-shorts. She sighed, stepping into the living room and plopping down next to Mokuba.

"What time is it?" she asked, lighting a cigarette from the pack on the coffee table.

"Eight-thirty."

"Ugh…" Ali groaned, why on earth had she woken up so early? Maybe the stress had finally gotten to her or maybe it was the fact that she had been strung with adrenaline since her conversation with Seto the nigh before.

Mokuba set the guitar down, leaning it against the arm of the couch. "So what are we going to do today?" he inquired, if it wasn't for his adorable innocence, Ali would have been attempted to smack him in the face.

"Mokie, I'm only on my first smoke," she waved the lit cigarette in his face and he crinkled his nose, "I need about ten more before I can think about _doing_ stuff."

"Whatever." Mokuba shrugged. "By the way, I brought you donuts."

Ali's face broke into a broad grin, and she felt her mood lighten instantly, "You're my favourite person ever!"

The child rolled his eyes; he loved Ali, particularly because she was so easy to win over. All you needed to do was buy her a donut and you were her new favourite person. It was a nice change from his brother's ever-wary attitude towards everything and everyone.

The blonde stood up and shook her hair out, wandering towards the kitchen with her cigarette in one hand, and the small glass ashtray she was using, in the other. Mokuba followed.

Ali slip up on the counter, opening the box of donuts and smiling wider.

"Pink frosted, with sprinkles! Yum!" she cheered, taking a last drag from her cigarette and butting it out in the ashtray before biting into one of the donuts. "Mmm…"

Mokuba giggled, taking a chocolate-iced one from the box and biting into it.

"So what did you come here for?" she asked, through the mouthful of pastry.

"To see what you were up to, I don't go back to school until after New Year's and its boring at home without Seto."

"As opposed to the loads of fun you have when he's around?" Ali asked, sarcastically.

"He's fun, once you get to know him." Mokuba shrugged.

"I'll bet, so what's he off doing today? Developing an alternate fuel source made from dead puppies?"

Mokuba's mouth frowned in disgust, "No. I think he's marking up a blueprint for the park when it reopens in the spring. He was talking about a new ride."

"The park…?" Ali finished her donut and stared at the boy in confusion.

"Kaiba Land, Seto's amusement park." Mokuba stated, still leaning against the counter Ali was seated atop. Her jaw dropped.

"Seto has an amusement park?" she squeaked, "_Your_ Seto? I-am-the-god-of-boring Seto? Are we talking about the same Seto?" she gasped again.

Mokuba rolled his eyes, a common activity when in the Russian's presence. "Yes, my brother."

Ali's face looked as through she had just discovered some kind of secret conspiracy that would change the way she saw the world. Quickly she shoved half of another donut into her mouth.

"But really, what should we do?" the raven-haired boy prompted, watching as Ali chewed and swallowed the donut with inhuman speed… surely her digestive system would suffer from such actions.

"Hmm… how strongly are you opposed to blatantly disregarding your brother's orders?" she asked, with a glint in her dark eyes that only suggested trouble.

"What… do you mean?" Mokuba narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Quickly, the Russian hopped down from the and raced towards the washroom, "I'm gonna shower and then you'll see!" she shouted over her shoulder. The sound of her footsteps—resembling the steps of an elephant—halted abruptly as she slammed the bathroom door behind her and cranked on the shower.

Mokuba only stood in the kitchen, terrified.

She was just looking for a way to get killed by Seto, wasn't she?

--

"Ali?"

"Yeth, Mokie?"

"That was a really bad idea." Mokuba's hand flicked up to touch his right ear lightly, the new silver stud on his earlobe ached dully under his fingers. They were walking down a sidewalk in the light snow, away from the piercing parlour they had just left from.

Ali was sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes in attempt to see the silver barbell with now stuck through it. Mokuba tried to remember what she had said to make him agree to her ridiculous plan, but couldn't seem to recall it.

"Jusht keep y'er hair over it." She lisped, frowning as she realized that her tongue was too swollen to for certain words properly. "He'll never notith."

Mokuba but his upper lip, Seto could notice even the tiniest change in his little brother's emotions… noticing something physical—which he had strictly forbade only four days ago—wouldn't be difficult for him.

Ali turned a corner, keeping Mokuba close to her side. When they were out, she never let the child more than an inch away from her. It had all stemmed form an argument months ago when she had insisted that Seto not send bodyguards everywhere with Mokuba. The brunette had agreed, though his driver tended to follow them wherever they went with a watchful eye. Even now, the limo trailed behind them at least fifty miles under the speed limit. Ali pretended not to notice, too touched by the CEO's protectiveness.

"Where are we going?" Mokuba asked, looking up at Ali curiously. He noticed that it wasn't much effort to look _up_ at her now. She must only be two heads taller than him. He was sure she had been taller three months ago… was she shrinking?

"Ithe Cweam." She fumbled over the words as they turned toward an ice cream parlour. Mokuba wondered why it was even open in December? Seto never bought ice cream in the winter, claiming it was 'ridiculous' but if the business could afford to stay open all year long, perhaps Ali wasn't the only one to eat it out of season.

They stepped through the doors of the shop, feeling the pleasant blast of heat as they did so. Mokuba relaxed in his blue ski-jacket. Ali immediately skipped up to the front counter.

"I want two thcoops of twipple chocolate with spwinkles and hot fudge." She decided, grinning stupidly at the young teen behind the counter who only stared at her.

Mokuba sighed, "And I'll have a strawberry sundae."

"Okay…" the boy behind the counter said slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on Ali as she shoved money on the counter and ran to the closest reflective surface to stare at her tongue.

"Aren't you a bit young to be volunteering with mentally-handicapped teens?" the teen asked, moving toward the giant ice-cream tubs in the cooler.

"You would think…" Mokuba shook his eyes, smiling as he watched Ali clap in amusement while she admired the new piercing. "Thanks." He said taking the two bowls of ice cream from the teen.

Mokuba sat down at one of the small tables, Ali joined him soon, taking a giant bite of the ice cream and sighing in glee as the cold substance melted against her sore tongue. "Mmm…"

"Does it hurt?" Mokuba asked, though the answer was beyond obvious. Surprisingly, Ali had barely shifted in the chair when the man at the studio shoved the needle through her tongue, now though, she seemed to be useless when it came to vocalizing anything.

Maybe Seto would forgive her once he discovered that she could barely speak. He would appreciate it, at the very least.

"Yuh."

Mokuba flicked his ear; the soreness was quickly fading, though he could still feel a numb throbbing. He spooned ice cream into his mouth, quietly. Truth was, he was beginning to regret going along with Ali's idea. He had never disregarded Seto's orders before…

"Mmph…"

The child looked up to see Ali struggling with a large drip of chocolate ice cream running down her chin, and he giggled lightly.

"S'not funny." She muttered grabbing a napkin and cleaning up the mess.

"So how long is Mai staying for?" He asked, trying to get an actual conversation going to distract him from his own guilt.

"She hath another shoot tomowo." Ali lapped up some more of the chocolate mess in her bowl, "Then… another neks week, then I hope she'll stay for a few more dath."

"Cool, can I come to the shoot next week?"

"Uh… I dunno if it'll be apwopwiate…"

Mokuba snorted and pointed to his ear, "Since when do you care about rules."

"You listen here mithter!" she huffed when she realized it was impossible to sound intimidating with a lisp, but continued, "I have my own wules! And y'er not allowed to hang awond with thtoned models!"

The child rolled his stormy eyes, but didn't push the subject further, Ali seemed more obsessed with keeping him young than even Seto.

"OH NO!" the blonde shouted, suddenly, throwing herself up from the table. Mokuba could here the young teen who had served them chuckle lowly.

"What?" she asked, worried.

"Will I be able to thmoke?!" she was alarmed, now, grabbing her black bag and yanking out her cigarettes as if to make a point.

"This could be a good opportunity for you to quit…" the raven-haired boy offered, he didn't like Ali jeopardizing her health with such a stupid—not to mention, disgusting—habit.

She eyes the cigarettes, the looked out the window. "You thound like my mom." She accused, keeping her eyes averted from the child. He thought he saw guilt flicker across them momentarily.

Mokuba crinkled his nose as he thought of the comparison. Karina Shvakova was not someone he ever wanted to be anything like. So rather than comment, he only filled his mouth with the frozen strawberry treat.

It turned out, though, that Ali was quite able to smoke. She discovered this when they arrived back at the Kaiba manor around three in the afternoon.

"There's nothin' good on…" the blonde complained, flicking through the channels on the TV so quickly, she couldn't possibly have a chance to even notice what was on. Her lisp had—thankfully—gone away after a few hours of sucking on ice cubes. It was still vaguely present, but not enough to make her sound like she had Down's Syndrome, anymore.

"Why don't we try out Seto's new virtual reality game?" Mokuba suggested, they were already in the games room, so it seemed like an obvious idea.

Ali narrowed her dark eyes, "I've never been in virtual reality…" she said, sceptical.

"It's fun, don't worry." The child encouraged, moving to the TV and hooking up a console that Ali had never seen before. It didn't take him long and before she could think about it, he had dropped a visor over her eyes.

"Nothing's happening…"

"It's not on yet."

"Oh," Ali bit down on her lower lip, waiting, as Mokuba thrust a controller onto her hand. "If I die in the game… do I die in real life?" she asked, genuinely worried.

"No, this isn't a movie." Mokuba drawled, "You really need to get out more."

Ali snorted, "I think your brother is the one who needs to hear that, kid."

"You better hope he _doesn't_ get out of his office for a very long time, because when he does… you're dead."

"Hey you're the one with the pierced ear!" Ali objected, knowing full well that the CEO would never blame his treasured younger brother for a thing. She smiled at the though, it was kind of sweet, in a dangerous way.

Her thoughts were immediately cut off but a flickering of lights, and she found herself on the edge of and ocean. But different…

"Wow…" she gasped, watching the scenery around her. The water was an inky black colour, and the sand she could see under her feet was a vibrant blue. The sky above was a beautiful blend of yellow and white, she couldn't even here Mokuba's breathing anymore. It was drowned out—literally—by the sound of the ocean lapping against the sand and the white-crystal rocks.

She looked around for a sun, but the closest her eyes could find a bright stripe of purple, which seemed to be illuminating the scene and stretched across the entire sky. It unnerved her to not need to move her head to look around. All she had to do was flick one of the controls on the paddle and her vision shifted as if she had craned her neck.

Moving the controls so that she was looking down, Ali noticed that the game left her minus a body, or one that she could see anyway. She knew that she would need to move in order to actually advance in the game, but was so caught up in the scenery that she didn't want to.

Again, she wondered how Seto had managed to imagine such and beautiful world. He seemed so uninteresting in real life, and yet if these were the visions that he saw when he closed his eyes, he must be holding out on the world.

Seto Kaiba, king asshole and visionary.

Ali chuckled at the thought. It felt strange to imagine the brunette outside of the small box he fit into, in her mind. Definitely not a multi-faceted personality.

She sighed happily, half-wishing that she could lay down on the sand—which, upon closer inspection looked more like fluffs than ground rocks—and let the inky water run over her. She wondered how anyone could ever tear themselves away from such a false reality. It was so much better than the real thing.

Suddenly the visor was ripped from her head, and in an instant she was faced with a _very_ angry Seto Kaiba.

"Oh, that's how." She concluded aloud.

"What… did… you… do…" the brunette's teeth were clenched as he pointed in Mokuba's direction and hissed at Ali.

"Oh hey Sunshine, you're home early." Ali plastered on her more fearless smile.

"Aldorina, I am warning you…"

"Uh… Seto… you look paler than usual…" she pointed out; his normally lovely face was twisted into a look that promised murder. "When was the last time you used the washroom?" she asked.

Seto made a movement with his hand, urging Mokuba to leave the room. Of course, the child obeyed, not wanting to get caught up in the heat of argument. With Ali involved, things would most likely get violent.

"Traitor!" she called after the boy, before standing up so she didn't have to crane her neck up so far to see into Seto's eyes.

"What is in… his ear?" Seto was trying to keep himself composed, but was steadily loosing control. He had to keep his fists clenched at his side, to stop from grabbing her shoulders and shaking her until she got whiplash.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Seto." She cocked her head to the side and flashed the most innocent she could muster.

"I specifically told you--"

"Look!" Ali stuck her tongue out and his blue eyes caught the flash of silver embedded in her mouth.

It had all been an attempt at distracting the brunette from his rage, but Ali quickly realized she only succeeded in making him madder.

"You're trying to turn him in to _you_!" he hissed motioning at her ears. They were covered with piercings and there was probably more metal than skin to be seen. He frowned at the thought of Mokuba ever looking so trashy.

"No, I not, you retard." Ali sighed, "But it's cute! He's a little rock star, now!"

Seto closed his eyes, trying to keep from shouting in her face, he did particularly _like_ Ali, but he wasn't a violent person. At least he'd never thought so, until he met her.

"Hey, you never listened to that tape I gave you for Christmas!" she accused, pouting.

"What are you…?" Seto trailed off, remembering the tape he'd received as a gift from the blonde. True, he hadn't listened to it. Nor did he have any intention to. It was in the drawer of his coffee table, where it would stay. How did she know, anyway? "No I didn't, but that's irrelevant."

"No it's not. I asked you to listen to it, you didn't. You asked me not to get Mokie's ear pierced, I did." She tried.

"That's _completely_ unrelated!" The brunette was trying to suppress the exasperation in his voice but it was slow seeping through.

"Oh… sorry." Ali quipped, making a grab for the simulation visor, Seto still held. He pulled it out of her grasp.

"Go take it out."

"What?! No! He likes it!" she whined.

"Maybe you should have thought about this before you took him in. Now you get to be the one who takes it away."

"Seto, no…" she whined louder, "I don't wanna be the bad guy! You're supposed to be the bad guy, everyone _expects_ you to kill the fun!"

Seto stared into Ali's dark eyes, she had a point… even though it kind of hurt him to think about it. Mokuba didn't expect Seto to have fun, he turned to Ali for that. But his brother did love him, when something was wrong he ran straight to Seto.

Too lost in his thoughts, Ali swiped the visor back and placed it over her eyes, sighing when she was back on the beach scene. It was so much more comforting than dealing with an angry CEO.

The purple stripe across the sky shimmered and she watched as the entire scene would darken slightly and lighten, just like sun slipping in and out from the clouds.

She stared along the scene, before closing her eyes and letting the sound of the inky water lap against the fuzzy sand-like stuff. She assumed Seto had left, since he didn't yank the device off her eyes again.

A quiet clicking startled her, and her eyes fluttered open to meet with angry red eyes bigger than her entire head. Her breath stopped in her throat as she realized that a black dragon was breathing loudly in her face, she could almost feel the burning breath on her face.

"Ahhh!" she screeched throwing the visor to the floor and quickly taking in the serene dragon-free room around her. Seto was kneeled down near the consol, no doubt responsible for the creature's sudden appearance.

"You dick!"

He turned his head to watch her with amusement, a light grin toying at his lips. Ali's jaw dropped.

"You son-of-a-bitch! You _get off_ on scaring me! You creepy dragon-loving bastard!" she accused, pointing rabidly at the CEO. In the back of her mind, though, she was fixated on the fact that he was—barely, but almost—smiling.

"I will let Mokuba keep the earring, on one condition." He offered smoothly, a voice just begging to be distrusted.

Ali, though was ready to do nearly anything to keep the child happy, so she eagerly nodded her head. "What?"

"My secretary is on sick leave, and her call-in is on holiday. You will do the job, free-of-charge and _properly_ for the next few days. Understand?"

Ali stared at Seto as though he had just sprouted and extra limb. Hadn't they already _tried_ that? Hadn't they mutually given up on the idea of Ali in the office? Maybe she had finally cracked the CEO, and made him officially loose it?

Taking her silence as an agreement—ignoring her rude stare—Seto stood, brushed off his knees and left the room, heading down the hall. He knew that the blonde would be entirely useless, and he would end up doing most of the work himself.

But at the very least, she would be _extremely _entertaining and kept out of trouble.

Seto frowned, realizing that he had just gone out of his way to keep the psycho around.

Maybe he _was_ losing his mind.

* * *

R&R

KC


	24. If You Want To, If You Dare

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **24

**Title:** If You Want To, If You Dare

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

* * *

"You must be kidding me."

"It's standard."

Ali stared at herself in the full-length mirror on her closet door and she didn't even recognize the woman looking back.

She was wearing a knee-length pencil skirt, and matching black blouse, her messy hair had been tied carefully into a ponytail and she stood half-a-head taller than usual thanks to a pair of conservative black heels.

"My mother would be so proud." She said, sarcastically.

It was bad enough that Seto had showed up at her apartment at seven in the morning and woken her up, but now he was actually _suggesting_ that she leave the house looking like a female version of himself?

Seto smirked invisibly; Ali looked like a young child playing dress-up in her mother's clothes. She could barely even stand properly in the heels.

"All this for a damn earring…" she muttered bending slightly to twist her skirt, thought she failed and instead fell towards the mirror, throwing her hands up to catch herself before she banged into it.

"I thought walking in heels was a second-nature to women?" The CEO wondered mockingly.

"Shut up or you're getting one in the groin."

"Hn." The brunette turned and left Ali's bedroom—which she had managed to make a mess of, already.

Ali followed quickly, keeping her hand against the wall for support as she walked awkwardly. "What about Mokie? What will he do all day with _both_ of us gone?"

Seto snorted, "He was fine before you crashed into his life, and he'll be fine now."

"I hate you…" she growled for the millionth time that morning.

It was almost eight-thirty, much to Seto's annoyance. Ali had taken twenty-minutes to even be able to form a complete sentence after being awoken. Afterwards, she had stared at the wall and smoked like a chimney for another twenty minutes. When she was finally willing to go along with his plans for the day, she had wasted _more_ time cursing at him in regard to the outfit.

Now, it seemed, they were finally getting somewhere.

The Russian stumbled and swore as they made their way out the door. She bent and tucked her key under the fake rock on her doormat before slinging her black bag over her shoulder.

"Didn't you say that you were going to stop using that pathetic fake-rock trick?" Seto drawled, "It doesn't look any more convincing _here_, you know."

Ali shrugged, "I told the doorman not to let anyone up unless they are you or Mokie, unless they get a hold of me first."

"That's surprising… you actually thought ahead."

"Yeah, well it isn't _my_ stuff getting ruined, if someone does break in, anyway." She said pointedly, aside from her instruments, clothing and record collection, the blonde didn't own much worth stealing.

Seto stayed silent as they stepped into the elevator, punching the button to take them to the ground floor.

"Hey, Seto…"

"What?"

"Have you ever had sex in an elevator, before?" Ali asked, winking in the CEO's direction. If she was going to prove to Mai that Seto was just another guy, she might as well start with the suggestions soon, so he would get aggravated sooner.

Yes, that was the plan—annoy Seto Kaiba into bed.

Seto frowned and ignored the comment.

"Because, I mean… if you wanted to try it…"

"Trust me, Shvakova, I'm out of your league."

"Trust _me, _Sunshine… that's never stopped me before."

The doors opened and Ali made an attempt to step out smoothly, only succeeding in tripping over her feet and falling on the doorman.

"Ugh, sorry, Marius."

"Not a problem, girl. You look lovely today." The blonde man responded, smiling so widely that his eyes squinted.

"Nice try, Mister… but I have eyes." Ali frowned with the same intensity and stepped past the man, followed by Seto, who quickly overtook her and switched it so that _she_ was following _him._

Ali actually managed to stay quiet until she was seated and buckled into the front seat of the black Volvo. She stared out the window as Seto pulled out of the parking lot and sighed loudly.

Moments later, she realized that Seto hadn't even glanced her way when she sighed. She tried again, louder.

Nothing.

"Uuuuuunnnngh."

"You sound like a dying moose." The CEO pointed out, rounding a corner. Ali pouted, not the response she had wanted, but she'd take what she could get.

"I'm just kind of depressed. You see my uncle… Bob… _died_ at an office building. So I don't like to go to places like that. They scare me."

Seto snorted in amusement, "That's the worst excuse you've ever given me, Ali, and _that_ says something."

"I don't wanna work!" Ali whined, stamping her stiletto-covered foot on the bottom of the car. It was a new approach, but it usually worked with her father.

"I didn't want my brother's ear put at the risk of a serious infection."

Ali rolled her eyes and chewed on the silver barbell in her mouth, it wasn't as sore as the day before, but arguing with the CEO wasn't a very good painkiller in itself.

"Oh by the way…" she suddenly remembered what she had meant to tell Seto, after a conversation with Mai the night before. "I'm having a New Year's Ever party and you're invited." She smiled.

"I don't suggest having a party in your apartment, the other tenants won't be impressed." Seto pointed out, Ali's thoughtlessness stunned him at times.

"I'm one step ahead of you, Sunshine. The party isn't at my place…"

"Either was I'm not interes--"

"It's at yours." Ali finished. It had been Mai's idea to get everyone together for New Year's Eve, Ali simply volunteered the Kaiba mansion from the occasion.

The CEO didn't say a word as they pulled into the underground parking garage beneath Kaiba Corp. He didn't make a sound as he parked the car in his VIP space and travelled into the building.

Finally once they had stepped through the front doors, he spoke.

"I'll deal with that later. Here, you are not Ali, you're Miss Shvakova, and for god sakes behave like a _lady_."

Ali pouted, but stepped into the elevator behind him twiddling her thumbs until they stopped at the top floor, the desk where Seto's secretary usually sat was empty.

"Wait… I'm going to be _your_ secretary!?" Ali exclaimed, "You're a idiot! You know I'll screw that up!"

The brunette didn't answer, only handed her a sheet of paper and made his way to the door marked 'Seto Kaiba, CEO'. Ali watched him before turning back to the paper.

'_Login: 87392  
Password: 2124768_

_Translate files #423-#448 to German.'_

Ali's eyes widened. Of all the things Seto could do to her, he had decided to ask her to translate files into German?! She didn't even _know_ any German!

She sat down behind the desk, feeling a sudden rush of power. How many people would kill for this position? And it was being used as punishment for her. Ironic. Looking over the desk she noticed a small black speaker and immediately clicked the silver button on top.

"Having trouble already?" Seto sneered over the mic. Ali crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the source of his voice. He couldn't see her, after all.

"I don't speak German, douche bag."

Seto was silent for a moment, "But you speak…" he trailed off implying that he wanted Ali to supply the information. She sighed leaning her head on her hand.

"English, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese, Greek and… Fijian." She listed proudly.

"Impressive, all fluently?"

"Fijian is my weakest," she admitted.

"And how does someone like you become so well-spoken?"

Ali wondered if it was normal for Seto to have such long conversations with his secretary, but doubted it. Judging from the nail file and pocket mirror in the top drawer, the woman was bored a lot.

"I travelled a lot. And I learn fast." She shrugged, then remembered how _not_ fast she was picking up the office-work concept she added, "Usually."

"Then translate them into Fijian." Seto ordered nonchalantly, "I'm sure we have clients there."

"But I just said it was my weakest!" Ali protested; leave it to Seto to try his hardest to make her miserable.

"Practise makes perfect." The CEO's voice was flat with an edge of taunting to it. The line went dead.

Ali sighed deeply, craning her neck to look around. The top floor was bare aside from Seto's office, a washroom and her desk, though it was still huge. No one else was around.

"If I scream, I doubt anyone would hear…" she muttered pushing the power button on the computer and bracing herself for trouble.

She was greeted by a boring desktop bearing the Kaiba Corp. symbol. Sighing she opened the files he had asked for and began translating them, growling in protest every time she had to look up a word.

Twenty sentences in, she began to feel her eyelids drooping. She rarely sat still for so long, focusing on such a boring task. Before she could think it over, her cheek was flat on her desk and she was dreaming about a wall-free existence.

"Miss?" a thick voice penetrated her dreams of being unconfined. She swatted a hand over her head and ignored it.

The sound of a throat clearing.

"Excuse?" a different voice this time, _heavily_ accented. She assumed it was Swedish. She was about to repeat her former action when she realized…

She didn't know any Swedish men.

Brown eyes snapped open and Ali focused in front of her, suddenly remembering where she was. Three middle-aged men were standing before her, looking deeply annoyed by being greeted by a snoring secretary who had waved them off.

"Oh—uh—hi!" she tried to sound chipper just like Seto's old secretary, but couldn't seem to pull it off on account of being sleepy and annoyed. "Sorry, I was up all night. Kaiba insisted on doing Jell-o shots off my naked body until dawn." She yawned again, as if confirming her story.

The three men stared back, mouths agape. Clearly they had never seen _that_ side of Seto. Ali frowned at the thought, perhaps Seto didn't have a side like that… but it didn't matter. The men's faces were priceless.

"Is… Mr. Kaiba available?" the Swedish one tried, looking deeply disturbed by the mental image.

"Uhh…" Ali pressed the intercom button again.

"Hn?"

"Seto some old guys are here to see you." She said quickly, all three men glared at her and one of them mumbled something about 'young CEO's and their useless staff'.

Seto didn't say anything else, probably annoyed that she had just called his clients 'old guys'. So the blonde went ahead and ushered them towards Seto's door. Once they were out of sight, she stood stretching her limbs out.

During the small activity something caught her eye that hadn't before, at the end of the hall a snack machine stood against a wall. Grinning Ali pulled out her wallet and began moving as quickly as she could—in heels—to the machine.

She snickered, looking it over. Most of the items were things that Mokuba liked. Go figure, why would Seto have a snack machine on his floor when he would never use it? She grinned popping in some money and punching a few numbers.

She watched happily as a chocolate bar fell of the bottom before bending to retrieve it. As she did so, she heard a rather loud ripping noise from behind her.

Ali snapped up—making sure that the chocolate was secured in her hands—and tried to bend backwards. Sure enough, from what she could see, the back of her skirt had ripped and a pair of fire-truck red panties weren't exactly subtle.

"Nice job Seto." She pouted, "Would it have killed you to get me an outfit that actually fit?" she huffed under her breath walking back to her desk, sitting down and kicking the heels off under the desk.

She tore open the chocolate bar and began chewing on it, thoughtfully trying to decide what action to take. It was doubtful that Seto kept extra skirts in his office, and she sure as hell didn't. Although, perhaps his old secretary had…

Finishing off the chocolate bar in a few moments she began ruffling through all the desk drawers. She pulled out a few files and stared at what was beneath them, smiling widely.

"Booze!" she exclaimed quietly, lifting a small bottle of vodka from the drawer before replacing the files. Happily she unscrewed the cap and took a few sips, not intending to get drunk; just calm.

Quickly she hid the bottle under her bag and continued translating the files on the report. It was a notification to all shareholders about the year's sales and overall income. Ali was actually surprised at the amount of money Kaiba Corp. was racking in annually.

She knew Seto was rich, but this was just insane.

She sighed loudly, shifting in her seat and looking toward Seto's office door as it opened. The three men stepped out, nodding behind them and bidding Seto goodbye before shutting the door behind them.

They all shot annoyed glances at the blonde as she smiled and waved. As soon as they were out of sight she shot up from the desk, not bothering to put on the evil heels. She wandered barefoot toward Seto's office door and opened it.

The brunette was staring out the window over the city.

Ali watched him for a quick moment before he turned to look at her. "What now?" he snapped.

Ali smirked and spun around, giving him a good view of her split skirt and bright red underwear. She turned back, meeting his annoyed eyes.

"How did you manage _that_?" he hissed, of all the things he had expected her to screw up, she had managed to mess up in a way he hadn't expected. "And what did you say to those men? They were acting odd."

Ali hid a smirk, and shrugged innocently, obviously Seto didn't buy it, as he narrowed his eyes in doubt.

Seto pulled off his black overcoat, beneath it he was wearing a white dress shirt with a black tie, and handed it to her. Ali slipped it on, it hung to her knees, hiding the wardrobe malfunction.

Seto stared at her for a moment, smirking in amusement. With his overcoat on, she looked like a tiny child. It fit her well enough because he was so thin, but was far too long for her, and the sleeves hung well over her hands.

Ali didn't catch his smirk as she was pushing up the sleeves to that her wrists were free.

"Did you finish translating the files?" he asked, letting the small smile disappear.

"Nah," Ali shrugged, "I'm sure you have a translation program, you're just trying to keep me busy so I don't bug you."

Seto crossed his eyebrows, she was surprisingly in tune with him.

"Well, I have a real job for you then." He stated moving back to his desk and lifting a thick file folder. "Each of these needs to be copied fifty-six times. There's a photocopier at the end of this hall."

Ali frowned, but snatched the files and stormed from the office.

"Put on your shoes." Seto called after her, so when she passed her desk she did as she was instructed.

After five minutes of copying the sheets, she decided that the sleeves constantly slipping over her hands was simply too inconvenient. Growling quietly, she took off the jacket meaning to tie it around her waist.

In the middle of doing so, she eyed the label on the garment.

"So the devil _does_ wear Prada…"

--

"No."

"Yes!"

"I forbid it."

"Setooooooooooo." Ali whined, staring at him from the passenger seat of his car. "Your house is the best one for a New Year's party. And plus, it can also be counted as a reunion! You, Yugi, Joey, Mai, Tris, and Tea haven't _all_ hung out in a while."

"For a reason." He argued pointedly, "And we _never_ had a friendship. I only tolerate them when necessary."

"They're coming over New Year's Eve."

"They are _not_." Seto disagreed firmly, "Mokuba will not be exposed to excessive drinking, not to mention your antics when you lack your small bit of common sense."

"Mokie is going to a little gathering on New Years. Didn't he tell you?"

Seto faltered, Mokuba hadn't told him anything. Since when did Mokuba _not_ tell Seto something? Since when did he forget to ask his big brother's permission.

"No. He did not tell me."

"Oh… well he doesn't actually know yet. But I'll let him know."

Seto was so relieved that Mokuba wasn't hiding things from him, that he didn't even argue with Ali on the matter. Mokuba _needed_ more social interaction. Even Seto could recognize that the child was maturing at an alarming rate after years of only speaking with Seto.

"So… can I do it?" Ali nagged, "Please, please, pleeaasseee?"

Seto turned to meet her eyes; she was biting her bottom lip and staring at his with the purest hope in her eyes. Whether it was fake or not, he suddenly didn't care.

"Everyone is out by two a.m." he gave in ruefully. After all… how much freedom did Ali have left? He had spoken to his lawyers, and they didn't seem to think she had much of a chance at getting off innocent. She didn't seem _too_ worried about it, though…

The date was set for the day Mokuba went back to school, which pleased Seto. Mokuba wouldn't have to know what was going on. Ali hadn't told him, wanting to remain kind in his eyes, and certainly not wanting to explain the whole story. Sexual abuse wasn't something Mokuba needed to hear about.

"Just take me to your place." Ali said as they neared her apartment building, "I kinda feel like seeing Mokie for a bit tonight." She glanced at the clock. Luckily, having Ali around had given Seto an incentive to actually leave work before dinner.

The CEO nodded, passing the building. He watched Ai from the corner of his eye as she clung nervously to her seat.

"Why the fear of cars?" he asked, suddenly curious.

She looked at him, "When I was thirteen, I was hitch-hiking and a drunk driver picked me up. We crashed and he died." She shrugged.

Seto thought that over, it seemed that Ali simply brought bad luck to all the people she was around. He shook his head lightly, realizing how unfair it was to blame her for what happened to people.

If anything, _she_ was the one who had to deal with so much pain and death around her… she suffered most.

They pulled into the parking lot and Ali jumped from the car into the snowy outside.

"Ahh… fresh air." She cooed, catching a snowflake on her tongue. "How can you stay cooped up all day?" she asked as they walked up the steps.

Set shrugged, he didn't particularly enjoy being outside, so being inside wasn't a bad thing for him. Once he opened the front door, Mokuba skidded into the foyer.

He ran to Seto, wrapping his arms around his waist. Seto smoothed his hair and smiled lightly down at the boy. He caught Ali's face in his peripheral vision, she looked like her face might crack from smiling so widely.

"Are you tired?" Mokuba asked, pulling away from his brother.

"Damn straight." Ali sighed, stretching her arms over her head to prove a point. "I need to pee. Be right back." She kicked off her heels and trotted up the stairs. Seto frowned, there were bathrooms downstairs.

"So how was she?" Mokuba giggled. Seto's eyes caught the silver stud in his ear again; it actually didn't look as awful as he assumed it would. But he still wished it wasn't there.

"Ali." Seto said, knowing that response could sum up her behaviour as accurately as possible. At one point, she had actually screamed bloody murder and broken several pencils because the photocopier ran out of paper. Another time, she had laughed hysterically when she saw Seto going to the washroom. For whatever reason, she had assumed he didn't use the facilities.

Seto stepped past his brother and up the stairs. He wouldn't admit it, but the day had gone by with astounding quickness with the Russian around to liven up any dull moment. Even if the snack machine was nearly empty because of her constant eating.

He noticed that he bedroom door was ajar when he stepped through it.

Ali's work clothes were on the floor and he could hear the shower running in the adjoined bathroom. Sighing, Seto moved to the phone on his small work desk and began playing the messages as he changed into a pair of black slacks and a blue button-down shirt.

He was just listening to one of his American branch-heads chatter on about some glitch they were having with their system when Ali popped through the washroom door.

Her hair was wet and tangled, and she was wearing one of his white button-down shirts over a pair of _his_ red silk boxers. Needless to say, she was grinning like mad.

Seto quickly tore his eyes from her, not wanting to gratify her annoying actions with a response.

Ali laughed, and threw herself down onto his bed. She rolled onto her stomach and rested her face in her hands. Listening to the boring messages coming out of Seto's machine. She still had a hard time grasping how important the brunette seemed to be to the world.

Without him and his assholish ways, would the planet crumble?

She giggled lightly at the thought, then stopped as another thought popped into her head.

"If you were to die suddenly… what would happen to Kaiba Corp?" she asked, curiously.

"It would go to Mokuba, he owns part of it as well."

"But… what if he didn't _want_ to run a company?" she flipped onto her back and let her head hang off the bed so that she was staring at his back, upside-down.

Her brown eyes wandered over his thin back and landed on his butt, she wondered how she had never noticed how amazing his body was. Or perhaps it was just that she hadn't had sex in days. She frowned, realizing that she wasn't used to finding _other_ things to do in her spare time… but for some reason, she didn't feel like going out and looking for a one-night-stand as she normally would.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even hear Seto's answer to her question. She did hear him clear his throat though, and noticed that he was glaring at her as she stared at him.

She sat up, ignoring the sudden blood-rush to her head. "I was just… checking for lint." She said slowly. Trying to pass off the blush that had risen to her cheeks as part of the blood-rush.

Seto raised and eyebrow, but didn't say anything as he turned off his answering machine and sat down at the desk, flipping his laptop open.

Ali shifted on the bed, resting her face on his pillow and breathing deeply. Mints, lime and coriander; it seemed to be the CEO's signature scent and she wondered internally if it was deliberate, or just the way he smelled. Her eyes stayed fixed on his back as he typed on the computer—most likely responding to that babbling American on the phone.

Her fingers found their way to the hem of the boxers—_his­ _boxers—that she was wearing. She'd never pegged him as a silk-boxers type. Sighing loudly she wondered how he managed to work so much. He was only nineteen, after all… how much could he sustain before he smashed.

She watched as his fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard, his eyes fixed on the screen. Suddenly her head was filled with images of Seto as a child… if he had ever really been one. She had basically come to her own conclusion about what he had gone through, what made sense. He had all the symptoms of everyone she knew who had suffered serious abuse, but he hid behind his career and success.

Her eyes drifted over his thin shoulders and flawless posture, and she tried to imagine them hunched and shaking with sobs. It didn't seem natural to her, the image of Seto crying. Like she could almost see it in her mind, but it wasn't really Seto.

Reaching to her black bag she pulled out a cigarette and lit it, grabbing a glass half-filled with water from his nightstand, for an ash tray. Blue eyes darted to her at the sound of her lighter flicking, but he quickly returned to his work.

Silence fell over the room like a hazy cloud, for ten minutes. Not comfortable, but not awkward, just silence.

Ali dropped the butt of her cigarette into the glass and stood from the bed. Her feet padded quietly across the floor until she was standing over Seto's shoulder.

Seto heard Ali behind him, he was about to ask her what she wanted, when she laid a hand on his shoulder. Squeezing gently. His fingers came to an abrupt stop on the keys.

The hand drifted up from his shoulder to the top of his head, she toyed with his hair the way he had seen her do to Mokuba, running her fingers through the thick chestnut strands. But unlike with Mokuba, she seemed hesitant and her fingers were shaking lightly.

Ali watched in amazement as Seto's hair fell through her fingers. She would love to have such thick, healthy hair, sadly that was not in her genetic build. She looked up after a moment and met the reflection of his eyes in the computer screen. He wasn't staring back at her in the reflection, but instead off into the distance.

Ali dropped her hand slowly, watching as Seto's eyes came back to life, he turned around on his chair and met her eyes. The look he gave her wasn't angry or threatening, but it wasn't friendly. He seemed to be sizing her up, the way he would size up an opponent.

She opened her mouth to say something but stopped, as she was bombarded by an image of Seto, tied down, staring away into blankness. Empty eyes, just like Kanata's eyes. Suddenly she had absolutely no doubt about anything.

She knew enough about Gozaburo Kaiba to know that he wasn't a kind man. She knew enough about Seto to know that he had been hurt. And she knew about Kanata to know the repercussions of molestation. She had volunteered at the orphanage long enough to know about the sickos that sought out children. But when a man with power and money wanted something, he got it.

"Why did it have to be you…" she whispered, touching Seto's face with her fingers. He caught her wrist quickly, as soon as her fingertips had rested on the soft, pale, porcelain-like face.

Yet again, she was reminded of Mai's words, reminded of her claim that she viewed Seto as just another man. But now, as she tried hard to see something—_anything_—in his eyes, she realized that she didn't see him the same way she saw Mikhail, or Joey or any other male she'd known.

She saw him as Kanata, as someone she wanted to help. Someone she wanted to save, but as Seto jerked her hand from his face she realized that he didn't want to be saved.

And she wondered if she had enough energy left in her to try. She took a step back and turned away from Seto, walking from the room in an attempt to clear her head. She needed Mokuba.

Seto watched her leave, frowning. Her moodswings were enough to make his head spin; only a little while ago she had been set on annoying him. But just then, he had seen a realization in her eyes, mixed with a sadness he wished he hadn't seen.

He turned back to his laptop, with half the drive he had before. What was it about Ali, she angered, annoyed, distracted and fascinated him all at the same time. And on top of that she managed to make him _want_ to have her in his life. He would never let her know, but she had managed to alter so many things since her arrival.

Mokuba smiled so much more often now. Seto spent less time at work, though it was still more than anyone else he knew. Though the prospect of having someone truly _know_ him was still alarming, he wasn't putting up much of a fight whenever she tried to see into his mind.

He heard Mokuba laughing in a room somewhere in the mansion and smiled lightly. Aldorina was out of her mind, but she had made her way into the minds of both brothers without causing any harm, any _real_ harm, anyway.

Suddenly, Seto internally vowed to keep her out of jail, to do anything he could. He might not _like _her as a human, but he almost liked the effect she had on his life. _Almost_ liked the way it had felt when she touched his face with curious fingers and sad eyes.

* * *

Kay, there ya go. Video responses are up. In the vid I'm bitching about it being one in the morning, well I didn't get this posted until 4. sigh I hope you guys sleep better than I do.

Review,  
Kasumi-ness.


	25. I Really See You Upside Down

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **25

**Title:** I Really See You Upside-Down

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

* * *

Ali sighed loudly, tapping her fingers on a large stack of papers and staring around the room impatiently.

It was nearly nine in the evening and she was still stuck in the office with Seto—who didn't seem to be going anywhere soon—even though all the other employees were gone. Aside from the sound of the floor washer making his rounds, it was completely silent. The lights in the building had been shut off except for one above her desk.

She sighed again, tapping her foot on the floor and standing up. Honestly, she hadn't even finished an hour's worth of work in the entire day, but she didn't care. She snatched her wallet and stalked to the snack machine at the end of the hall, frowning when she realized that she wasn't even hungry enough to eat, she popped in her change and watched a pack of cherry flavoured gum fall.

Snatching the gum, she stomped back to her desk, and sat on top of it, rather than in the chair. She let her shoes fall to the ground and began to rub her sore feet. Unlike the day before, Seto had made her do a lot of running around.

She'd been from floor to floor all day, collecting documents ands chatting with coworkers, most of whom were so afraid of Seto that they wouldn't pause for a moment to entertain her. She dropped the pack of gum into her bag, not bothering with taking a piece.

She stared down the hall to the CEO's door, which was closed, and only a thin strand of light shone from under it. She sighed again.

She laid back on her desk, it was big enough for her to lay on, as long as her feet dangled off. Her eyes scanned the hall and her head hung upside down from the desk, her thoughts wandering to the man behind the closed door.

She tried to ignore the twinge of sheer agony in her chest when she thought of her realizations from the night before. She couldn't deny to herself, that Seto was the most screwed up person alive, and now that she knew _why_ all she wanted to do was deny it. Something about the thought of the Seto she knew being helpless and broken just made her world turn upside-down.

I didn't make sense for the strangest person she knew, to be the most broken.

Slowly she sat up, pouting to herself. With all the thoughts running in and out of her head, she felt like she should at least see him. She wanted to be near enough to him to feel the angry annoyance he sent in her direction. Maybe then life could make sense again.

She didn't bother putting her shoes back on as her feet padded down the hall until she stopped in front of his door. She could hear the faint sound of key typing from the other side, which meant that Seto was still working.

She leaned forward and opened the door. It was dark except for a small lamp on Seto's desk which had been flicked on. The brunette was at the desk, typing away undisturbed by her presence. Ali stepped into the office, quietly, keeping her eyes trained on Seto.

"Uhm…" she fumbled, clutching her bag to her side. "I'm going to run outside for a smoke." She told him. She knew it was unusual that she let him know what she was doing. Normally she would step out when she waned, with no announcement. But she had wanted to see him, just for a quick moment.

"It's snowing." The CEO responded, uninterested, luckily not asking why she suddenly announced her plans to him. They had barely spoken since the night before aside from his ordering her around all day.

Ali stared out the window, it hadn't been snowing before but sure enough there were large fluffy flakes falling all over the city. She stepped to the window and placed her hands against it, staring out. "Wow… look at all the lights." She cooed, "I've never seen Domino like this." She cocked her head to the side.

"Hn." Seto didn't even slow his typing.

"Anyway," Ali turned back. "I'll be right back." She managed to make it halfway out the door to his office.

"You don't have a coat."

Ali stared at the ground. It was all so strange, she had barely even been her usual annoyingly witty self all day, let alone towards Seto. And now, having him actually talking to her seemed like a mildly unwanted change.

She looked at the fuzzy white turtleneck Seto had forced her to wear that day. "I think I'll be okay."

"It's cold." Finally his typing stopped and she turned in time to see Seto standing from his desk. "I'll come with you and start my car, you can sit in there." He grabbed his keys from the top drawer of the desk and left the room ahead of her.

Ali couldn't move, something strange was going on. Seto had expressed concern in her, and now he was going to let her smoke in his car? He'd never allowed her to before. There was something going on, and she didn't like it.

"Hey!" she turned and yelled to Seto who was already near the elevator. "What the Hell is wrong with you?!" she huffed, storming forward.

Seto looked her over, remaining silent.

"You are being such a freak today, I don't like it. You're treating me like Mokuba, I can take care of myself! And…" she paused, "and even if I couldn't, I don't want to be taken care of by _you_."

Seto stared at her, his eyes stone cold and completely emotionless. The truth was, he hadn't necessarily realized that he was treating her any different than usual. She was the one being strange; silent and polite—until now. He turned to the elevator as the doors opened.

"Fine." He muttered, turning away and striding back to his office, closing the door behind him.

Ali watched the scene, irritated. But she quickly snatched up her heels from the ground and jumped into the elevator before the doors shut. She hit the button for the ground floor and stared out the glass side of the elevator, over looking the city.

Sighing, she leaned against the glass, watching her breath fog it up. When the doors opened, she quickly stepped out, keeping her arms wrapped around her.

She stepped out the front doors and into the cold wind, it was snowing heavily now, naturally there was a night guard standing next to the front door.

"Hey." She greeted the guard, pulling a cigarette from her bag and lighting it. She held the pack out and the guard took one, mumbling thanks as he lit his.

They stared out over the parking lot. "When do you go home?" Ali asked after a moment of silence.

"Five in the morning." He replied, it was too dark for Ali to see much but what the glowing tip of his cigarette lit up of his face.

"Shitty."

"It pays the rent." He shrugged, "Am I right?"

"I don't know, he doesn't pay me." Ali kicked some snow away from her foot and taking a deep drag of her cigarette.

The guard nodded, but didn't ask questions. Most people understood that when it came to the CEO, asking questions wasn't always helpful. Ali felt a shiver run down her spine as the wind ran through her sweater, maybe letting Seto take her to the car wouldn't have been a bad thing, but it was too late to think of that.

"You got a handle, kid?" the guard asked.

"Ali. You?"

"Richard, been working for Mr. Kaiba for three years, since he took over the company." He seemed to be bragging, almost. "He's a good kid, to be able to run a company at sixteen, and do such a good job."

"Yeah…" Ali agreed, "When I was sixteen I couldn't even run an ant farm."

"When I was sixteen, dancing was a sin." Robert chuckled, "I'm too old to understand how he does it all."

Ali wanted to sigh, but she felt that if she used anymore sighs up, she'd run out. It seemed that no matter where she turned, _someone_ would bring up the issue she wanted to avoid.

Her feelings about the CEO. She didn't even know how she felt, and she didn't want to think about it.

"And you're young, are you nineteen too?"

"Eighteen." Ali corrected, "And I'm only here to fill in for a few days. I couldn't do this regularly."

"Eighteen…" Robert sighed, as if reliving some lovely memory. "What a great age. You're grown up enough to do what you want, but young enough to have mistakes excused. Then you grown up and if you don't find a place in the world, you fade away." He finished sadly, tossing the butt of his cigarette into the snow.

Ali followed suit, "Don't work too hard." She smiled at Richard, turning to go back in through the front doors.

"Be good." He spoke back.

Ali opened the doors and drifted back to the elevator, a soft smirk gracing her lips. Weren't those words of wisdom? How many times had people told her to _be good_ in the past? She frowned as she stared out the glass wall of the elevator.

How many times had she actually listened to the advice?

She rolled her eyes and stepped out on the top floor, the hall was still as empty as before. With the exception of a new stack of files on her desk. She approached it and lifted them, looking over the files.

"Ugh." She groaned, she had no idea what Seto wanted done, but she was sure it was a lot of work. It was only getting later and it seemed like the CEO wasn't anywhere near ready to get home.

Keeping the files in her hands, she stepped cautiously toward Seto's office door. She didn't want to see him anymore, let alone _talk_ to him. She drew in a breath and corrected her usual, slouchy posture and opened to the door.

Seto was staring at his computer screen, not typing, his hands crossed in front of his nose. Without moving, his blue eyes flicked to where Ali stood, in the doorway. Immediately, the blonde's blood ran hotter than before.

She felt a hot blush rise to her cheeks, something about the way he looked in that moment had her captivated in the strangest way. She bit instinctively on her bottom lip, not wanting to think about the CEO further. But it was hard, with him staring directly at her in his usual stoic fashion.

"I…" she tried, but her voice came out too low and scratchy. What was going on? Where was the Ali she tried to be around Seto? Why was she suddenly so tongue-tied? Suddenly her eyes widened. "You… bastard!" she spat.

Seto raised an eyebrow, but stayed stone-still, his long fingers crossed in front of his face, reminding Ali of an evil genius.

"You drugged me!" she accused, letting the files fall to the ground. "You slipped… something into my…" she tried to make a list of all she had eaten that day, it was too long to track, "food!"

"That's absurd, why would I do something like that?" Seto questioned, dropping his hands and turning his eyes back to the computer.

"Because! You wanted to calm me down so that I could only think about _one_ thing at a time!" she babbled, trying to make sense of her own thoughts. "And then you made sure we were alone, so the only thing I could think about was _you_! YOU SICK MAN!" she screeched.

Seto couldn't help but return to staring at the Russian, perhaps he was working her too hard? She was definitely loosing her mind. "I didn't drug you." He stated coolly.

"Oh yeah?" she took several steps until she was leaning over him in his chair. She had the height advantage, though even sitting down Seto was nearly matching her eye-to-eye. "Then why are your eyes so sparkly and blue? I wouldn't notice that unless I was drugged." She accused leaning her face close to his.

Annoyed, the CEO tilted his head up slightly to meet her glare. He didn't like being smaller, but she had one hand on each of his armrests, so movement wasn't much of an option unless he wanted to physically move her.

Ali studied his face in the dim lamp light. It all made sense now, the way she was so calm, her constantly thinking about the CEO's feelings and the conversation from last night. He had drugged her.

Nevertheless, she didn't so much mind examining him at such a close proximity; she noticed that in the light, his eyes had a light ring of silver around the pupils. As usual, he smelled like the cool mixture of mint, lime and coriander. She watched as the light shone off his hair, coaxing out natural gold tints under the usual chocolate colour.

She frowned deeply, why did he look so _good_? Surely at such a close look, all her flaws would be visible. Rather than the smooth, flawless porcelain skin Seto had, he would be seeing her pasty, freckled skin… with a few scars from chicken pox.

Her hair didn't dance in the light, but fell flat and matte past her shoulders. And her childish mouth simply couldn't size up to his full soft-looking lips.

"Shvakova, your mouth is wide open and your breath smells like smoke." Seto complained, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. Ali shook herself from her thoughts only to realize that her jaw _was_ hanging open.

Quickly she snapped it shut and pulled herself away from him. Her dark eyes—almost black in the dim light—darted anxiously away from the CEO. She cleared her throat.

"Sorry." She tried to sound as indifferent as Seto always managed to.

"For?" There was that trademark indifference…

"What I said earlier, about you treating me like Mokuba." She paused, trying to make sense of the words muddling up her thoughts. "I… anyone would be lucky to be treated as well as you treat him." She shrugged.

Seto stared at Ali's back. The white turtle-neck he'd forced her into made her look so… unlike herself. Rather than like it, as he assumed he would, he was simply put off and surprised each time Ali's voice came out.

"I didn't drug you."

"Whatever," Ali narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. Maybe her mood wasn't attributed to slipped substances, but she wasn't ready to admit that—even to herself.

Seto stood swiftly and moved to the other side of his office, bringing back a silver briefcase and setting it on his desk. Ali pulled herself up on the desk, sitting to watch the CEO. He sat back down in his chair and snapped open the case.

"What's that?" the Russian wondered, watching as some complex looking machines were pulled from the case.

"A new piece of technology I'm working on." The brunette responded, keeping his eyes on the pieces and he lifted a tiny screwdriver and began to toy with them.

"You actually… make stuff?" Ali leaned forward, watching in confusion. "I thought that you just… told _other_ people to do it?"

Seto rolled his eyes, "I run the company because I am the most capable."

"Oh." Ali bit down on her bottom lip and checked the large silver clock on the wall, it was going on ten… was he really going to keep her here all night?

Early bedtimes were not a part of her life, nor had they ever been. She thrived off late nights and sleeping through mornings. But being cooped up in an office building with the most boring—recent matters, aside—person she knew wasn't her idea of a party.

"Does Mokuba know that we're staying out so late?" she wondered, trying to catch Seto's attention and have him focusing on her again. Naturally, she liked attention and with no one else around to give it to her, Seto was in for a great deal of pestering.

"Yes."

"Guess he's pretty used to it, right?" she sighed, leaning her head back and staring up at the ceiling, "I think you should be around him more…"

Seto didn't respond, he was glad the Russian was gazing upward, so she couldn't see his hands stop moving for a moment as he thought her words over.

"I mean…" she continued, despite the lack of an invitation to do so. "He's always so excited when you spend a spare moment with him. I just think that he should be more used to having you around than gone."

Seto tried to breathe deeply, he even started to count back from ten—he made it to nine—to contain the rage that her words had stirred up. In the end though, it was all in vain. He dropped the pieces in his hands to the desk and stood up abruptly, his chair reeling behind him.

Ali was startled, so used to Seto's calm demeanour that the sudden outburst actually scared her a little. Especially the way his eyes fixed on her, like she was something to hunt.

"I know what is best for him." The CEO seethed through clenched teeth.

"Of course you do, but--" Ali tried to defend herself, but Seto cut her off.

"You do _not_ know how hard I try to keep him sane, despite the odds against us." He hissed.

Ali struggled off the desk, her eyes were wide. There was definitely something in the air at Kaiba Corp. she wasn't feeling like herself, and now Seto—the master of overruling emotions—was being so un-Seto-like.

"Seto… calm down." She tried, taking a step away from him. He ignored her retreat, pacing closer to her. His breath was short and shallow while hers was deep, trying to calm herself.

What was this? It all seemed backwards, wasn't _he_ usually the one who tried to stay collected while she raged on and on?

Her thoughts were cut short when she found her back flat up against a wall. Seto was hovering over her, looking enraged beyond comprehension. She opened her mouth but all that came out was a gust of air.

"You think you know it all, don't you, Shvakova? You know just what I need, what my brother needs… you know what everyone needs." He leaned in, their faces were closer that she wanted, but Seto seemed to immersed in his own newly-found insanity to notice.

"N-No… I just--"

"You think you've seen everything, but you haven't. You haven't seen a thing; you feed off other people's experiences, and learn from them. But you haven't done a _thing_ in your life worth a moment of my time."

Ali bit her lip, he needed to vent… even Seto Kaiba wasn't immune to anger. He was just taking it out on her. She clenched her fists at her side, trying to accept this idea, suppressing her natural reactions.

"You saw Mokuba, and now you believe you understand why he is the way he is? You see me, and you assume you can figure out everything? You lost Lancifer, and you think you know what it feels like to be hurt?" he didn't even pause to notice the growing emotion behind Ali's eyes—which had darkened significantly—let alone register what it meant. "Aldorina, you don't know pain, you have never been _hurt_ by another person. You have nothing, no knowledge or experiences to bring to the world. You are nothing."

Ali let go of the hold she had kept over herself, rather than bite back and try to let the brunette have his moment she gave up.

Seto stepped back as a fist clashed against his cheek. Immediately, he recovered and stared at the Russian. Once he snapped out of his momentary rage he could see her face in the light as she stared at him. Her eyes were wide, and she looked strangely… betrayed?

"There." She shouted, turning on her heel. "Now we're _both_ hurt."

Seto watched as Ali stormed out of the office, heard the sound of the elevator doors shut behind her, and didn't move.

For once, it seemed, Ali hadn't been the one to mess up.

* * *

Can anyone say 'filler'? Eep, sorry.  
Better stuff comin' soon, I swear!

KASU.


	26. She Shoots, He Scores

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **26

**Title:** She Shoots, He Scores

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

**VERY IMPORTANT NOTE!: **Well, not that important. But I had to get EVERYONE'S attention. Haha, kay... so teh review responses had to be done on my blong, 'cause.. well it's all explained there. And also! I did a picture of Ali, it's kinda pooey, but it's up. Linked from my blog. (LINKED THROUGH MY HOMEPAGE ON MY PROFILE). THANKS FOR 100 REVIEWS, guys!

* * *

"Is she okay?"

"So looks kinda pissed…"

"Did anybody ask her what happened?"

"I'll bet'cha that moneybags had somethin' ta do with it!"

Ali glared at her friends. "I'm right here, you jerks!" she shouted, annoyed with them acting like she wasn't around.

Tristan, Tea, Yugi, Joey, and Mai were all crammed into the Motou's small living room, staring curiously at the Russian who was lying on top of the TV, her back curved around the top and her head and legs hanging off. It looked like a particularly uncomfortable position, but no one was brave enough to question her.

She had stormed in on them that morning with a face that swore murder to anyone who dared get in her way. After the argument with Seto the night before, she hadn't been in the jolliest of spirits.

"Sorry honey, was there something you wanted to talk to us about?" Mai asked sweetly, she was sitting alone in one of the armchairs rather than being crammed on the couch or sitting on the floor, like the others.

"No!" Ali whined defiantly lifting her hands to cover her face.

Joey looked at her hand, something catching his eye.

"Wha' did that bastard do to 'ya?" he shouted, realizing that she had a dinosaur-patterned band-aid wrapped around one of her fingers and her knuckles were severely bruised.

Ali pouted, removing her hands from her face. She had managed to slam her hand in one of the front doors at Kaiba Corp. when she had stormed out. She stared at the hand, but some of the bruises could definitely be credited to Seto's face. She began to wonder what his face looked like.

"He didn't do anything to _me_!" she argued, sitting up from the painful position she had been in and crossing her legs, still atop the TV. "You should have seen what I did to him!" she squared her shoulder, "These are battle wounds!"

Inwardly, she was praying that the CEO had at least one bruise to prove her story true. She had hit him pretty hard, she remembered, hadn't he been knocked back by the force? Ali grinned evilly, the thought of Seto Kaiba being knocked from his ever-perfect positioning by a little blonde girl made her smile.

Specifically the part about the little blonde girl being herself.

There was no response from her friends so Ali scanned her eyes around the room. Joey look shocked, Tea looked horrified, Yugi and Tristan shared the same intrigued expression while Mai looked…

"What are you smiling about Valentine?" Ali snapped with playful anger.

"So Seto shares your preferences on roughness between the sheets? Or on his office desk, judging by the fact that Mokuba told me you never went back to the Kaiba's last night."

Ali's jaw dropped, "MAI, YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT--"

"You're sleeping with Kaiba?" Joey's head whipped from Mai to Ali faster than any of the teens' eyes could register. A thin veil of anger fell over his face.

"She wishes." Mai joked; Joey was unaffected by the humour.

"I do not!" the Russian defended. Wasn't this all just perfect, Joey thought she was with Seto, Mai was egging him on and she still hadn't resolved anything about the night before.

Tea continued to look horrified.

"You guys suck!" Ali whined smacking her palm against her forehead. She jumped down from the TV and stood in front of all her—stupid and naïve—friends. She cracked her knuckles and held her head up. "First, I am not sleeping with Seto. Second, I do not wish to be sleeping with Seto," she paused, pondering the thought for a brief moment before dismissing it, "third, he didn't beat me up, and fourth…" she trailed off. "There is no fourth!" she snapped.

Mai sighed boredly, "Whatever, it's New Year's Eve, are we or aren't we going to Kaiba's tonight. Because if we aren't then I'm going to go to a party."

Ali blanched. It was New Year's Eve, wasn't it? Hadn't it just been Christmas yesterday? Why was time flying so quickly? She felt her stomach turn, she really didn't want to see the CEO after last night, especially since he was possibly angrier at her than she was at him. Which was scary to imagine.

"Of course we're going!" she announced, managing—with extreme effort—to keep her voice from shaking. There was no way she would let her friends think she was afraid of a little CEO. And she wasn't going to let Seto know that he had hurt her feelings.

Even though he had.

A lot.

"Great!" Mai clapped, "Well I think that we're going to need new clothes for a new year. Tea, help me fix this mess." She motioned to Ali as she grinned at the brunette.

"Right." Tea's face took on a look of sudden determination. Obviously she realized that the task presented was not going to be an easy one.

"Hey, what's wrong with the way I look now?" Ali asked, staring down at her ripped jeans and blue t-shirt with the word 'FUCK' printed up one side. She grinned, it was certainly one of her favourites.

"As your best friend, an up-and-coming fashionista, I can't be seen with you looking like… _that_."

"Best friend?! You just insulted my clothes! Some friend you are!" Ali protested, but in moments Ali and tea were at her side, ushering her from the living room using word like 'cashmere' and 'hip-huggers'.

Joey grinned, "Is anyone else psyched to see how this goes?"

"Ten bucks she shows up in a Halloween costume." Yugi joked.

"Twenty bucks she shows up with a gun." Tristan challenged.

--

"Wow, I never knew Mai had so much money." Yugi mumbled as they examined the Kaiba's large living room. It had been decorated with streamers and other New Year's decorations. One end of the room had been filled up with long tables, one filled with enough food that even Joey wouldn't be able to finish it all off—not even with Ali's help—and another which held bottles of every liquor imaginable. "Where does she get it all?"

Joey, who was examining the new, rented, sound system next to the TV, grinned.

"Mai's dad made partner at a law firm after Duellist Kingdom, plus she has a huge grant for the launch of _Valentine_."

Tristan grunted, "Sounds like you're still hot for her."

"What?" Joey snapped, tearing his eyes from the electronics, a deep blush colouring his cheeks, "I was never hot for that over-done princess!"

"No barking in the house, mutt."

The three teens turned their eyes to the staircase; Seto was coming down the stairs with a self-satisfied smirk. In one hand he was clutching a bottle of water and in the other he was holding a thick book. He didn't look ready for a party, in his slacks and navy blue turtle neck, but then again, such casual attire on the CEO was rarer than him even attending a party.

Joey rolled his eyes, but—for a change—decided not to take it further. As far as he was concerned, the less Seto participated in their get-together the better off they all were. Even though Ali and Mai had rambled on about reunions and such.

"Where's Mokuba?" Yugi chirped, filling the increasingly tense silence.

"Aldorina sent him to a friend's. I guess they're having a party, too. Perhaps you should have gone to that one. It would have suited your maturity level better."

The American boy scowled, Seto seemed dead-set on an argument tonight. In the past, Joey noticed that the more stressed the CEO was, the more likely it was that he'd take it out on someone else. What was his problem this time?

"Speaking of the train wreck, where is she?" Seto continued, moving to sit alone in one of the black leather armchairs. "She told me you'd all invade my house at ten, it's already ten-thirty and you idiots have been here since nine-thirty annoying me."

Joey's face flushed with anger, "Not e'rebody takes bein' on time as seriously as you, moneybags!"

"Nevertheless, when it's my home that's being used, I'd prefer to have you all in and out as soon as possible." Seto shrugged, flipping open the book.

"Well if they're gonna take forever, I'm eating." Tristan complained, making his way to the snack table and snatching a sandwich up.

"Didn't we tell you guys to wait for us?" Mai's cocky voice sounded from the far living room entrance.

"Mai!" Yugi smiled widely; glad to have someone to take the heat off of Joey and Seto's banter.

Mai stepped in the room; she was almost bearing all in a tiny red dress, her hair cascading over her bare shoulders.

Joey's dropped jaw wasn't exactly discreet.

"Quit drooling, Joey. You're going to have more hotties to gawk at all night." She smirked, then dramatically waved her hand to the doorway, all eyes followed.

Tea and Ali stepped though, and—if possible—Joey's jaw dropped further.

Ali was smiling coyly, her hands on her hips. Apparently Mai and Tea had put a lot of work into getting her to cooperate, but it had clearly worked. She was wearing a pale green sweater that—lo and behold—actually fit her _properly_, over a pleated brown skirt. Her hair was combed, tamed and tied into a nice looking ponytail, so different from the usual mess that sat atop her head. She wasn't wearing much makeup, but since she never wore _any_ the difference was obvious.

She actually looked presentable.

Of course, standing next to Tea, she was just another girl.

The brunette girl stood so much taller than Ali, naturally and with the help of heels in a white baby-doll dress. Her face glimmered lightly—not with the caked on glitter that Ali used when she went out—and her blue eyes sparkled brightly with excitement.

"Wow." Tristan said after a moment of silence. "You made Ali look like a girl."

"Oh shut up Tris." Ali rolled her eyes stepped into the living room and heading immediately to the drink table. Seto smirked, while the other girls were wearing shoes to compliment their outfit, Ali was wearing a pair of small black socks. Apparently kicking off her shoes in the foyer was just too hard a habit to break.

"Okay, who's drinking what?" the Russian demanded. She held up a bottle of watermelon flavoured vodka. "This is _mine_." Her look dared anyone to object.

"You couldn't drink the whole bottle." Tristan scoffed, though when his eyes met Ali's he realized they were words better left unsaid.

"Wanna bet?"

Seto rolled his eyes, this night would be a long one. Entertaining, perhaps, but long.

"Ali's the only one who knows how to make a decent drink, Tristan. Don't piss her off." Mai plopped down on the couch.

"Right! I used to be an underage bartender!" Ali declared proudly.

"Is that a legitimate occupation?" Seto wondered aloud.

"It is when you have a fake ID, and the bar owner has the hots for you." She winked, "Let me guess…" she made a thoughtful face, "martini, dry." She guessed, smiling at the CEO.

For a moment the brunette wondered if letting Ali make him a drink was a good idea. Was it even a good idea to drink with someone so mentally unstable? Wouldn't that pose a threat?

Then again, wouldn't she be more likely to do something ridiculously absurd if she was trying to out-drink him?

"Long Island iced tea." Seto corrected.

"Hm…" the Russian paused, "nothing I can't handle." She squared her shoulders and began mixing the drink, after Seto had his, she began taking the orders of everyone else in the room before finally pouring herself watermelon vodka with lemonade.

Tea toyed with the stereo system until techno music dominated the atmosphere. She and Mai began to dance next to the large speakers, joined by Tristan.

Ali perched herself on one of the arms of the chair Seto was sitting on. He had already downed half of his drink and was reading the book in his hand as if he was alone on a Wednesday night with nothing better to do.

"So what's your wish for the New Year?" Ali asked, finishing off her drink in order to remain one step ahead. She leaned down to read over the CEO's shoulder, a Spanish textbook. Something about investments.

"Wishing doesn't make anything occur." He lifted his glass and finished his own drink.

"It makes you hope." Ali corrected. Her voice was louder than usual because of the music, but still at a volume only Seto would be able to hear.

"Then I hope you learn to control yourself." He snapped. The comment sounded mean, but in his head he was adding to the thought.

Learn to control herself and sit through the court trial in three days, quietly. Control the impulse to scream for justice. Behave and don't wind up behind bars.

He wondered how he had begun to—so suddenly—hope to keep her around. Even like her company.

"Seto?"

Blue eyes snapped up to brown, and Seto realized Ali was staring at him seriously.

"Let's not fight anymore, okay? I mean, insults are one thing. But let's not fight. Not like last night." She mumbled, her cheeks were flushed lightly. Seto wondered what the vodka to lemonade ratio in her drink had been. It seemed that the blonde wasn't an especially talented drinker, it didn't take much, did it?

Seto stood up, dropping his book down on the coffee table. He held still for a moment for the room to steady itself. His eyebrows crossed as he tried to remember what he had eaten so far in the day. Nothing. Perhaps drinking so quickly wasn't a good idea on an empty stomach.

"Ali! Come dance!" Tea chimed from across the room, before Seto had a chance to respond.

The Russian flashed a grin and stood up, skipping clumsily to where her friends were. Seto watched as she and Joey began dancing playfully with each other, grinding their hips together. He wondered how she and Joey managed to stay friends… had the American not known about Ali's other man?

He wasn't Joey's closest friend, but Seto knew that the teen wouldn't stay friends with someone who had done what Ali did. And Yugi and the others wouldn't have forgiven her for hurting their friend.

Something weird was going on with that group, Seto decided.

However, at the moment, he couldn't care less. He made his way to the drink table and poured himself another glass, seating himself on the couch and drinking it whilst watching the teens dance.

Ali and Mai were back-to-back now, moving their hips and laughing, with their arms in the air. Next to Tea, an experienced dancer, and Mai who was just too beautiful, Ali looked small and silly. But she also looked to be having the most fun.

Before he realized it, Seto was holding an empty glass. He frowned, knowing that it was too much, too fast. Especially since he hadn't eaten a thing. He considered grabbing some food from the other table, but decided that he simply wasn't in the mood to eat. He'd just stop drinking.

"Dance with me!" Ali's face was suddenly in front of his. Why hadn't he seen her coming? Why was everything slowly spinning.

Seto shook his head, he noticed that Ali had another empty drink in her hand, which probably explained her foolish grin. "Please?"

"No."

Ali sighed and dropped to the couch, lying back immediately so that her head was on Seto's knee. He stared down at her while she watched her friends dance and laugh. She either didn't realize who exactly she was resting her head on, or she didn't have very good danger perception at the moment.

Seto considered pushing her off him and onto the floor, but she looked comfy, and she was warm. So instead he stared in another direction and pretended not to notice.

Out of the corner of his eye, the CEO caught Ali toying with the hem of her brown skirt. He couldn't remember ever having seen her in a skirt before, but she didn't seem to mind. He'd seen so many girls who would throw a tantrum if they had to wear a skirt. Prototypical non-conformists. Girls who tried to get his attention by being _oh so different_.

He let his thought elaborate on the subject, he'd always thought of Ali in that respect. But seeing her now he reconsidered. She wasn't a tomboy, who tried to defy society's standards for females.

She just didn't give a shit. Low maintenance.

"What?" Ali asked, looking up at his face, his eyes had somehow landed back on her face. The makeup she was wearing looked odd on her, after seeing her bare skin for so long she just seemed to look fake and generic now.

"You're wearing makeup."

Ali cocked an eyebrow. "You're drunk."

"I'm not."

"Seto, you would _never_ make such an obvious observation unless you weren't thinking clearly." She rolled her eyes, lifting her head from his knee and sitting up next to him. Her legs were tucked up under her and she looked extremely comfortable.

Seto didn't say anything else. He watched as Joey grabbed Mai by the shoulders and whirled her around to dance with him.

"I think he likes her." Ali giggled.

"Hn."

Yugi was already asleep, the little bit of alcohol he had consumed acting as a sedative. He was passed out on the other couch.

"Lightweight." Ali smirked, looking at him. "How did that kid manage to beat you at your own game?"

"It's not my game, I just know it better than anyone." Seto corrected, his voice was its usual cold tone, but Ali noticed, he was too tipsy to hide the emotions in his eyes.

There was jealousy.

She smiled lightly, real feelings didn't look too bad on him.

"But you don't play that game." Seto frowned, "You try to use _magic_." He snorted at the word.

"Hey… I believe what I believe. Whatever gets you through the day, right?" Ali defended, leaning her head on the back of the couch.

"Monster Reborn."

Ali looked toward Seto, it alarmed her how even though he barely said anything, she knew exactly what he was saying. "Resurrection."

Seto thought it over for a moment, before he finally understood. After months of trying to understand that day, so long ago now, he finally got it. When Mokuba had wondered what would 'make Ali have the best day ever' and drawn Monster Reborn.

"Lancifer."

Ali nodded, "Another year." She sighed, but quickly shook her head. She lifted her bag off the coffee table and snatched a cigarette out of it, lighting it up quickly.

Seto watched her, he crinkled his nose invisibly as smoke billowed from between her lips. He truly disliked it when Ali smoked, it was such an annoying habit.

"Disgusting." He snorted.

"Seto, shut the fuck up. Can we just be friends for like five seconds?" Ali snapped back.

Seto thought for a moment, then reached out and plucked the cigarette from between her lips and dropped it into a glass of water sitting on the table. The blonde opened her mouth to complain, but Seto placed a finger over her lips.

He raised an eyebrow, "If we were friends, I wouldn't let you wreck your health."

Ali was speechless for a moment. Perhaps Seto should drink more often. Had he just displayed genuine concern for her health?

However, she needed nicotine, not a concerned friend.

She parted her lips quickly, and bit down on Seto's finger. He hissed and yanked his hand away.

Ali grinned stupidly, "Thanks Seto, that was an awesome five seconds." Her face got more serious "No more friendship."

Seto rolled his eyes, but couldn't hold back a smirk. The room wasn't spinning so intensely, and he couldn't find anything particularly annoying about anything at the moment. Complete apathy, the perfect stage of drunkenness.

"One minute to midnight!" Tea squealed.

Ali's head whipped up to the clock. Was it really so late already? Joey jogged to her side and dragged her up from the couch. Instinctively, she grabbed Seto and pulled him along.

The Russian was smiling widely as a glass of champagne was shoved in her hand, everyone around her was holding one—even Seto, who predetermined that he'd already had enough.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven…"

Ali smiled, she was surrounded by her friends, she was clean, she had people who cared for her and vice versa. It was the perfect beginning to a new year. Even with the events coming up, she couldn't shake the feeling of happiness.

As they all cheered—excluding Seto—Ali turned to the CEO and threw her arms around him. She wasn't paying enough attention to notice Joey snatch Mai up and pull her into a kiss.

"Nevermind." She said into the brunette's ear, her arms draped around his neck. "Let's be friends."

* * *

R&R  
KC


	27. Disregard the Skeletons in the Closet

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **27

**Title:** Disregard the Skeletons in the Closet

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

**NOTICE: I haven't been doing so well these past few weeks… it's really taken all of my energy just to get this chapter finished. So, once again, there won't be video responses for this chapter. I promise when I'm feeling better I'll get back into the regular grind of keeping you guys as involved as possible. Thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed, I have so many new reviewers and I feel so lucky. I apologize, once again. This too, shall pass.**

* * *

Seto awoke.

Not with the usual impatient feeling running in waves over his body. Not with his nerves stretching and contracting, under his skin. Not with a cold feeling squeezing his lungs.

His eyes simply opened, irritated by the soft light filtering through his window.

The CEO stared around his bedroom, trying to remember ever having gone to bed. He didn't feel poorly rested and sore, like usual. In fact—aside from the dull throbbing in his head—he felt… good. He sat up, slowly enough as not to upset his stomach, and gave his bedroom a once over.

He checked, first, his own bed. He wasn't wearing pyjamas, so he must have fallen asleep quickly. He frowned again, why couldn't he remember?

He was alone in the bed. For some reason, this relieved him of the temporary worry that had embedded itself into his head.

Letting his eyes scan over the rest of the room, he noticed that the bathroom door was ajar. Unusual, usually he kept it closed. His bedroom door was closed; perhaps he'd used the washroom before bed and simply forgotten to close the door?

Seto frowned; closing doors was a reflex, it wasn't something one could simply _forget_ to do after ingesting copious amounts of alcohol.

All the questions in his mind were answered when he heard a loud retching sound echo from inside the bathroom.

Slowly, he swung his feet over the edge of his bed and made his way to the dresser. The thin material of his turtle neck wasn't keeping him warm enough at the moment. He pulled it off, slid a drawer open and lifted a navy blue v-neck sweater out. He slipped it on and heard another retch from the washroom.

Preparing himself for the worst, Seto made his way through the washroom door.

Ali was on her knees, her small hands clutching the toilet bowl as she gagged over it, her bag heaving violently. The pale green sweater from the night before was wrinkled and stained with colouring from drinks that she and others had spilt. The brown skirt was in a similar state.

He watched her for a moment; luckily, her hair was still tied up.

The retching stopped and, drawing deep raspy breaths, Ali turned to look at Seto over her shoulder. His lips parted in shock.

The little bit of makeup that she had been wearing had smeared down her cheeks; she must have been rubbing her eyes. Her skin looked so transparent, that her freckles stood out like charcoal on ivory. She looked like a twelve-year-old with a stomach flu.

"Ugh!" she turned again and let whatever was left in her stomach into the toilet. Seto was beginning to feel nauseous listening to the sounds of her sickness.

"Pass me that… towel." Ali gasped, finishing again and pointing towards a blue towel on the rack near to where the brunette was standing. He picked it up, bent down, and placed it in her hand.

"Why are you in _my_ bathroom?"

"I slept in your room, retard." She snapped, wiping off her mouth. "Looks like Seto Kaiba gets drunk, too."

Seto opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. Ali had slept in his room.

Ali seemed to have a need to _sleep with_ any man she spoke more than four words to.

And on more than one occasion, she had suggested that he be one of the men.

"I slept on the floor." Ali frowned, guessing what was going on in the CEO's head. "Besides, no one would want you, looking the way you look right now."

Seto stood back up, and turned to stare in the mirror, which he had neglected to do before.

No, they had _defiantly _not done anything… sexual.

Seto's eyes narrowed as he put together what he was seeing in the reversed-image of the mirror.

On his forehead, in thick black marker, someone had written—in Ali's sloppy penmanship—"**GOD COMPLEX**".

Naturally, he turned to look at the small blonde. She was grinning innocently at him, it appeared that she was finished throwing up.

"I have to work today." Seto spat through his teeth.

"That's okay. All your employees already know."

"Get out, I'm showering."

Ali pouted, "Screw you. I'm showering."

"There are other showers."

"I like that one." She pointed at his shower like a child might point that a toy they wanted, in a department store.

Seto bent down, grabbing Ali's wrist tightly in his grasp. Not caring whether either of them were feeling sick, or not, he dragged her across the washroom. By this point she was shouting loudly.

Quickly, but gently enough so that she wouldn't be hurt, he tossed her into the shower. As soon as she was in, he cranked the cold water tap on, and slammed the textured glass door.

Ali screamed bloody murder as she tried to pull herself off the slippery floor of the huge shower.

"You bastard!" she gasped, clawing at the door, forgetting how her body operated under the torrent of icy water.

Seto only stood back, watching with mild amusement as Ali fumbled with the handle of the shower door. She was still on her knees and he could hear her breath shaking from the cold.

Finally she yanked the door open and lunged herself through it. She landed near the CEO's feet, a pool of cold water immediately forming around her as her clothes dripped. Her dark eyes stared up at him, and she pulled herself up to her feet.

And then she smiled.

Seto almost wanted to gasp, such an unusual thing for him to feel. What was she smiling about?

"I'm rubbing off on you." She declared, patting him on his shoulder—the gesture was accompanied by a loud _slop_ sound from the wet sleeve of her sweater.

"Excuse me?"

"Petty revenge." Ali smiled wider. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

"I am going to take a shower now. You can use the one down the hall." Seto stepped away, ignoring Ali's goofy grin.

"Or… we could save water, and shower _together_." The blonde suggested in a low voice.

Seto only turned to her and cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that was probably my cheesiest attempt at getting someone naked." Ali shook her head. "I guess I'll go now." And with that she skipped from the room.

Seto watched the bathroom door close, and listened until he heard his bedroom door close behind the blonde. Then, he allowed himself one small, short smile.

The real kind.

--

"Ali!" Mokuba shouted the moment he stepped through the door of his house. "ALI!"

Ali, who had been curled up on the living room couch, moaned loudly. She tossed the book she had been reading onto the coffee table. "I'm in here you little spaz!"

The raven-haired boy darted into the room immediately, still wearing his shoes, caked with snow. A few flakes were still resting his hair, slowly melting away one-by-one. He had taken the time to toss of his jacket, though.

"Is Seto at work?"

Ali rolled her eyes, "Yes, your dear brother is at the office. He woke up this morning, gave me pneumonia, yelled at me a bit, and then took off."

"… you have pneumonia?" Mokuba asked, tentatively. He was used to the blonde's exaggerations by now.

"No. How was your New Years?" She asked, smiling widely and sitting up. She had decided to stay at the mansion that afternoon to see Mokuba, of course Seto thought she had left when he did. The CEO seemed to have a problem with Ali being at his house by herself… she couldn't understand why.

Mokuba narrowed his eyes, "It was fun…"

"Is… that bad?"

"Ali, I know you told those guys to pretend to like me." Mokuba sighed, plopping down on the couch next to the Russian, twiddling his thumbs nervously. "You didn't have to do that."

Ali laughed, patting the twelve-year-old on the head, "I didn't. You must have made some friends."

"I don't know… they didn't seem to care who my brother was, I don't get it."

"That's the thing," Ali said, "about good friends. They don't care about who your family is, they just care about _you_."

Mokuba stared up at the blonde, his jaw hanging open.

"I spent yesterday with Tea."

"Ah."

Ali laughed again, "So, I figured that since we've been slacking off over the holidays… you should probably get back to working on our lessons. What do you think?"

"Sure!" Mokuba agreed, "What do you want to do?"

"Well… that Hellogoodbye concert is tomorrow night, so why don't I teach you a few things about _mixing_."

Mokuba's eyebrows folded, "How are you going to do that? We don't have the right equipment here and--" he noticed the mischievous smile that graced Ali's ace and immediately understood. "No, Ali. He will _kill_ you."

"I am willing to risk it for your education, dear Mokuba." She jumped up and clapped her hands together.

"Ali, I really don't think this is a good id--"

But Ali was already skipping towards the doors of Seto's office; a huge grin plastered across her face.

--

Seto stepped through his front door, it was already ten o'clock at night and he felt he had accomplished nothing during the day. The holidays had given his employees incentive to slack off, and he was glad they were over.

He dropped his briefcase and car keys on the table next to the door and hung his coat in the closet. Luckily, Ali's artwork across his face had washed off easily in the shower. After she had seen his clean face, she had whined for a good ten minutes about him being so lucky to have such nice skin.

He rolled his eyes at the memory as he snatched his briefcase from the table and made his way into the kitchen. He pored himself a glass of water and then continued on to his study.

When he swung the double doors of the home office open, he was shocked.

Ali was sitting in his chair, behind his desk, with her head in her hands. Several books were opened and sprawled across the surface of the desk, as he stepped closer the CEO noted that they were all computer manual books.

He set his briefcase down on the desk, and Ali's head shot up, her eyes widening in shock, she inhaled sharply and sat in shock for a moment before shaking her head.

"You're quiet…" she pointed out, Seto noticed that she didn't say it with complaint, or like an insult… she just said it.

"What are you doing?" his eyes narrowed.

"I… killed your computer." She stared at him, her eyes waiting for the life-threatening reaction she knew was coming.

Seto closed his eyes and pinched his thumb and forefinger against the bridge of his nose. He exhaled deeply and stood still as a statue.

Ali didn't move either, afraid to do anything more that would anger him. But after three minutes of complete silence, she couldn't bear it.

"Did… I kill you, too?"

Wordlessly, Seto rounded the desk until he was behind Ali where she sat in the chair. He leaned over her shoulder, both hands on the back of the chair she seemed too small in.

"Show me _exactly_ what you did."

Ali shuddered lightly as his breath tickled the top of her head, but tried to remain focused.

"I… turned it on," she pointed at the power button, "then, I logged on to--"

"You know my password?" Seto hissed. He made sure to keep all his things under password protection, even in his own home. Not even Mokuba knew the passwords.

"It took me a few tries, but I figured it out." Ali turned her head to look up at the brunette, "It's Mokuba's birthday." She smiled slightly. Seto was too predictable for his own good, sometimes. But it seemed that very few people knew him well enough to successfully predict his next move.

Seto shoved his frustration into the back of his mind, "What did you do after that?"

"I… I downloaded some audio mixing software?" she said, trying to remember if that was what she had done. "And then the screen went black… then your computer made this little noise, like it was in pain… and then when I turned it back on, it was all white."

"A virus. What then?"

"Then, I hit control, alt, delete. Just like you told me t—"

Seto rolled his eyes, "That only works for Microsoft operating systems. The ones in the office are different than this one." He pointed at a small icon of an apple on the computer.

"Is that why the little guy popped up?" Ali wondered.

"What?" Seto snapped.

"After I hit it, this little guy came up, and he looked dead. And then it shut off… and wouldn't turn back on." She showed Seto a picture that she had sketched clumsily onto a blank sheet of printer paper. It was a computer with 'x's for eyes and a very distinct frown. She had also sketched a small image of a girl getting stabbed to death by a man in a suit who beard a slight resemblance to himself.

"You Sad Mac'd." Seto said, "I've never met anyone who has managed to do that."

"I didn't mean--"

"I know." Seto cut her off, "Move."

Ali pulled herself up from the chair, numbly. He hadn't yelled at her? He hadn't reprimanded her in any way for hacking into his computer and destroying it? He had displayed understanding?

Ali stood next to Seto as he sat in the chair and began flipping through one of the manuals. She stared at him as he copied something down under the picture she had drawn.

"I'll take it in tomorrow, I can't fix this."

"Why are you being nice?" Ali asked, suddenly.

Seto didn't look taken aback by her question at all, "I am tired, there's no point in even explaining to you that what you did was wrong. You aren't getting any more intelligent."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ali snapped.

"You can't seem to grasp simple concepts, so I'm not going to waste my time explaining complex ones." The CEO stood up, moving to leave, but Ali stopped him.

"I'm _so_ sorry that I don't live in computer-land, and choose to have an actual life." She bit, sarcastically.

"And what life is that?" Seto asked, staring down at the Russian, "You tutor Mokuba, you _might_ be hired to do some part-time work for your best friend. You're eighteen, you _still_ aren't involved in any post secondary education. You have a battle with the law coming up in two days, and you just destroyed a computer worth more than your _life_. You live in an apartment _I_ pay for, you rely on other people to get you around, because you're too _afraid_ to drive a car. What have you ever done for yourself?"

"Fuck off, Seto. You don't know anything about what I've done."

"Don't I? I know that you can't do _anything_ properly without ruining something along the way. You can't help someone without hurting them,

Ali's jaw was hanging open. What was it about any time the two of them spoke? Did it _always _have to end up like this? Would the world actually fall apart if they were civil, or ever _friendly_?

She stared up into his blue eyes and noticed that they were just as blank as usual, if not more so. He didn't care that she was growing tired of the constant fighting. It seemed to be a vicious cycle. Fight, laugh, talk. Fight, laugh, talk. Why couldn't the laughing and the talking be all there was? Or at the very least… couldn't there just be more of them?

Seto stepped around the blonde, who appeared to be thinking hard about something judging by the contorted look on her face. He left the room on silent feet with no evidence of caring about her thought whatsoever.

The second Ali knew Seto was out of hearing range she slammed her fist down on the desk. It barely made a noise, but she yanked her hand back, hissing in pain. It seemed that she couldn't win, she couldn't get what she wanted.

"What _do_ I want?" she muttered to herself, cradling her sore hand. It seemed like such a short time ago when she had proclaimed her undying hatred to the CEO. But now… now, she didn't mind him so much. His silence only gave her more time to babble about whatever she pleased. His stoic expressions only gave her more to try and decipher. But when he did talk, it was to criticize, and when he showed emotion it was almost always anger.

She bit down hard on her lip. Did she _really_ want to try and be his friend?

She sighed; it wasn't the time to be thinking about such things. She had preparation to be doing, she couldn't go to court without being ready. She snatched a piece of paper and quickly scribbled a note for Seto down on it.

'_Douchebag, I'm fuckin' sorry. Geeze.'_

Sighing again, she gathered her things and left the house.


	28. Perpetual Denial is the Key

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **28

**Title:** Perpetual Denial is the Key

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

**GUESS WHAT?!: Do I have your attention? Good. You guys can consider this my apology for the last two chapters sucking royal ass. Hopefully you guys are pleased with my... well, you'll see. **

* * *

"Could you please explain why I can't do it _my_ way?" Ali asked, her voice ringing with frustration, as the lawyer launched into—yet another—explanation.

The Russian stared down at the pictures scattered over her coffee table, truthfully, she didn't want to see any of them. Kanata Kijiou was one of the most beautiful children she had ever had the privilege of meeting, and seeing him beaten and defiled in the pictures his step father had kept—pictures that she had stolen—just broke her heart every time.

To distract her, she'd made sure that the most attractive lawyer on Seto's board had come over alone the night before the trial, for preparation. She knew that Seto had taken Mokuba to the Hellogoodbye concert, which had been her Christmas gift to the child.

Ali stared at the lawyer he had dark brown hair, cropped in nearly the same style as Seto's, though this man's had more wave to it. He was still talking, his round, pink lips moving as he pointed at legal papers, explaining that stolen evidence wasn't admissible in court.

When his sea-green eyes finally turned on her, she hadn't heard a word that had been said. Despite the predicament, all she seemed able to focus on was how much he looked like Seto; shorter, more muscular, and slightly more childish looking—even though he was older than the CEO—but alike nonetheless. She didn't know why, but it bothered her, in some strange way.

"Does that clarify things?" he asked, Ali snapped back to reality with the tone of his voice becoming more of a question. She blinked.

"Sure, sure. How long have you been working for Seto?" she inquired, pulling her legs up and under her as she sat on the couch. The lawyer seemed entirely uncomfortable with Ali's informal way of meeting, and her casual attire. He was sitting straight as a board in a suit.

"That won't help you in court… but he hired me onto the board when I was twenty-one."

"How old are you now?"

He rolled his light-green eyes, "I've already told you three times, Miss Shvakova, I am twenty-four."

Ali narrowed her eyes and tried to remember him telling her before, but she couldn't. He was a bit cocky, though. Just like Seto. She sighed, it was almost eleven, she knew that the concert ended at ten thirty, meaning that the brothers would be getting home rather soon. She felt the urge to jog over to the mansion and meet them, but fought it off. Why would she do such a thing, anyway?

"So are you married?" she asked, staring down at his hands… there was no ring. She struggled to remember his name, she always seemed to want to call him to Seto. But that wasn't his name… it was… "Torey?"

"No I am not married, and my name is Terry." He rolled his eyes, again. He'd been with the Russian since two in the afternoon, eight hours of one-on-one and she still could so much as remember his name?

Ali shifted, she analyzed the brunette's face. He didn't have Seto's prominent jaw line, or high cheekbones, but he was attractive in his own way. More tanned, more rounded.

Realizing that she was doing it again, Ali tore her eyes away. Why was she suddenly comparing men to Seto? Why was this lawyer suddenly not good enough, just because he didn't match up to with Seto? What really bothered her was the knowledge that if she didn't know the CEO, this man in front of her would be extremely attractive in her eyes.

"Miss Shvakova, I don't think you realize what a dire situation we are in. Tomorrow, you will present your case to the court, your going up against a billionaire—who could have had you off'd by now, if he wanted to. All your evidence is inadmissible, the child can't be coaxed to speak, and therefore will most likely not testify." Terry sighed, dropping a folder of papers to the coffee table and staring Ali down, "What are you going to do?"

Ali took it all in, all the things she already knew, all the things she didn't want to think to hard about. "Terry, do you believe in fate?"

"No."

"Me neither." She sighed, "But I believe in karma. So I have no choice but to tell myself that I am going to get out of this alive, and free." Her brown eyes flicked back to the lawyer who was watching her with interest. His head cocked to the side, sea-foam eyes wide.

"You are either the most optimistic… or the most fearless person I have dealt with."

Ali smirked, "Fearless."

Terry nodded, and casually spread papers out over the table, covering the photos of Kanata, no person with a heart would want to see them.

Before she could think it over, Ali had his wrist in her hand. She didn't even remember moving closer to him, her mind was racing…

"Has anyone ever told you that you look like Seto?" she mumbled, letting her eyes drift over his face. Different, but similar enough… after all, there was only one Seto Kaiba.

"I've been told I bear a resemblance, yes. But why…" Terry caught the look in Ali's eyes and immediately understood. "This has happened to me before." He sighed.

"What are you talking about?" The Russian's eyebrows folded.

"Women mistake me for Mr. Kaiba, and try to play out their fantasies." He said angrily.

"What? No! I hate the bastard! I was just pointing it out!" Ali snapped.

"And you're too young for me, I like my women not to be gir--"

Terry had said the wrong thing, and Ali was instinctively driven to prove to him that she was just as much a woman as anyone he knew in the past. So when she lunged herself at him and stole his lips into a rough kiss, she repeated her motives over and over to herself like a mantra in her head. Swearing that it had nothing to do with the lawyers resemblance to Seto.

Once Ali was straddling him against the arm of her couch, Terry put up no fight. His hands, tentatively rested on her hips and he let her kiss him. Nip at his lips, and growl lightly a few times. He could practically feel the internal conflict radiating from within her, but Ali had something…_good_ about her, regardless of age and life experience. Not to mention the fact that she knew what she was doing with her tongue.

"Ali! Guess wha…"

The Russian's head flipped up from the lawyer she had been ravaging and her horrified eyes met with an equally disturbed-looking Mokuba. Over his arm he had a t-shirt draped and over his shoulder stood a very tall, very still CEO. How could she have missed the sound of the door?

Ali's jaw dropped, she was instantly taken back to her high school days, sneaking around with guys, being caught the occasional time. Of course, she'd never been caught with a man who looked just like her father—by her father.

Time seemed to stand still, though it couldn't have been more than four seconds before Terry shoved her off. Ali let herself fall limply to the opposite side of the couch. Shock, running through her body.

"I apologize, Mr. Kaiba. She… she attacked me…" the twenty-four year old stuttered, Ali wondered how it must feel to be employed by someone five years his junior.

"Do not show up at the board anymore." Seto hissed, lowly. His eyes were giving off a glare that threatened a painful death to anyone within a ten mile radius.

"What? No!" Ali found her dignity and leapt up from the couch. "It's not even what it looked like! He… he stole a donut from me!" she was waving her arms frantically, guilt eating her stomach.

"Really, now? Because it looked more like--" Seto started with a cocked eyebrow.

"I was getting it back!" Ali declared. It wasn't entirely unlikely, after all. Seto had seen her eat, and it was a well-known fact amongst her friends (or just people, like Seto, she spent a lot of time pestering) how deeply she felt about donuts. Deep-fried pastries were a part of Ali's daily life.

Seto stared the blonde down, his eyes freezing her to the core. But she held still, despite the natural reflex to run and throw herself under a heavy blanket, shivering. Finally, the CEO's eyes flicked back to his lawyer.

"You are dismissed from Aldorina's case. But you are permitted to stay on the board, I rarely give second chances. And I am not inclined to performing more than one grand favour per person." He snapped. Ali felt her throat contract, why did he have to talk like that? He sounded so… in control. An irritating heat found its way through her body.

Terry thanked Seto, overly-so. And scurried out, leaving behind the briefcase filled with all Ali's files which he would never need again.

Mokuba was still staring at the same place his eyes had rested upon entering the apartment. Now that the sofa was abandoned, it just looked strange.

"M-Mokie?" Ali tried, he looked so fragile at the moment. Like, at any given moment he would break into a fit of hysterics.

"You…" the child looked up at her, his eyes were chillingly vacant. "YOU'RE WITH SETO EVERY DAY AND _THAT_'_S_ WHO YOU JUMP ON!?" he hollered, the vacancy in his eyes replacing itself with confusion and irritation.

Ali registered Seto flinch—ever so lightly—behind her, she was momentarily jealous of that fact that Mokuba was the only one capable of getting human reactions out of the CEO. But then again… why did she care? She didn't.

"I don't _like_ Seto!" she argued back, placing her hands on her hips and staring down the twelve-year-old.

"Yeah, _okay_." Mokuba rolled his eyes. "You just like guys who look like him, and work with him."

Ali was floored, when did the kid learn about sarcasm? He'd picked it up from her, hadn't he? She wanted to smack herself for instilling such behaviour into the kid.

"He really just ate my donut." Ali declared, again. Squaring her shoulders and raising her chin. "Now if you don't mind, I am quite busy."

Mokuba snorted and thrust the t-shirt into her hands, smiling. "I had fun, I got you a shirt since you were too busy sucking-face with that guy to come…" his eyes trailed to the paper-covered coffee table, and he took a few steps forward, "What were you guys doing?"

Ali didn't even think twice about the action, she lunged herself at the boy and tackled him to the ground. If Mokuba ever saw the pictures on her table, Ali would never forgive herself. Unfortunately, her rather… violent way of solving the problem only lead to another problem.

Explanation.

She couldn't think of one, as she held the kid down.

"Don't go over there! There's…" she paused, searching her mind for something, _anything_ that would keep Mokuba away, "SCORPIONS!" That's right, Mokuba was terrified of anything that crawled and bit.

The child crinkled up his nose, as Ali pulled herself of from the ground where she had tackled him, "Eww! Why do you have scorpions?!"

"She doesn't." Seto rolled his eyes, stepping over his brother and towards the coffee table. Ali made a move to stop him, but was a few moments too late. The CEO moved gracefully to the coffee table, and lifted one of the sheets of paper. Ali froze, praying that he wouldn't notice what was beneath the paper.

At first, he didn't, his blue eyes scanned the sheet of paper, reading over what Ali and the lawyer had written as a testimonial. Then, he glanced down, meaning to place the sheet back on the table.

He froze. Where the paper had been was a picture of a young boy, who he recognized as Kanata Kijiou. The boy was handcuffed to a headboard, tears streaking down his face and blood staining his hair.

He felt his heart stop beating, and struggled to pull in a breath, but couldn't manage it. He reached out for support, but couldn't find it. Somewhere Ali and Mokuba were shouting his name, but it sounded like it was a million miles away. He didn't even feel the floor under his cheek until everything went black.

"S-Seto?" Mokuba stuttered, standing still and staring at his older brother.

"Call an ambulance." Ali ordered, immediately sprinting to Seto's side. When Mokuba didn't move, she glared at him, and repeated the order.

"No, Seto only lets his doctor look at him…" the child was still staring, horrified at the CEO.

"Mokuba, we don't have time to wait for his doctor, call 911!"

"N-No…" Mokuba shook his head, searching for the rational part of him, luckily he found it. "The doctor lives near here, I'll call him, he'll be here faster." And he reached in his pocket for his cell phone.

Ali stared down at Seto for a moment before she pulled his head into her lap. She checked his pulse, it was fast, but slowing down gradually. His breathing was normal, he wasn't sweating.

"Seto?" she tried, touching his cheek gently. Nothing, he was out cold.

"The doctor will be here in five minutes, he said to make sure Seto keeps breathing." Mokuba said, coming up behind her.

"Okay, go get me a pillow." Ali asked, hoping it would buy her some time to move the evidence on the coffee table. The child nodded and took off toward her bedroom.

Gently setting Seto's head down, Ali scurried to snatch all the pictures up, once she had stuffed them in one of the drawers of the coffee table, she returned to the floor, lifting Seto's head again.

Mokuba returned with the pillow and she rested it under Seto's head. The two sat and watched the brunette until there was a knock at the door.

Mokuba ran to get the door and returned with an extremely old looking man.

"Let me see him." The man huffed, Ali moved out of the way, hesitantly. "Mokuba, call your driver and go home."

"No, I--"

"Your brother will be fine, you get sleep." The doctor demanded, Ali assumed that he must be pretty close with the Kaiba's to be able to talk to Mokuba like that.

The kid hung his head, but obeyed, in moments he was out of the apartment. Once he was gone, the doctor sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I have told this guy a hundred times that he is not Superman." He sighed, turning to Ali.

Ali only blinked and looked at the man, he must have been in his eighties, shouldn't he have retired by now?

"I'm Doctor Sanji." He introduced himself as he checked Seto's temperature. "I've been Seto's personal doctor since he was a kid, and he still won't listen to me…" he was mumbling to himself now.

"What do you mean?"

"Seto continues to work himself far too hard, he refuses the therapy I've asked him to take." He sighed, "Do you know what triggered this?"

"Triggered _what_?" Ali was lost, now. "What's wrong with him?"

"Seto is a strong man, but he can only take so much. This is stress and lack of rest."

Ali's eyes shot down to the CEO, he looked more pale than usual. The simple fact that he was passed out and unable to wake up shot a cold fear down her spine. "I… I don't know." She lied, of course she knew.

The picture, it must have brought back a memory or two, hadn't it? She'd figured out that much.

"Well, you don't have to worry, this won't last more than an hour or so… it never does with Seto." Mr. Sanji sighed again, "This has happened a few times before. When he wakes up, tell him to get some rest, and take the day off tomorrow. Doctor's orders. Of course, he'll never obey. Also…" he took a prescription pad from a black medical bag Ali hadn't noticed until then ,and scribbled something down on it. "Tell him to get this filled in the morning."

Ali blinked, more pills?

"Wait, shouldn't someone take him home?" Ali inquired, the doctor wouldn't really just leave Seto here, on Ali's floor… would he?

"It's best if we don't move him too much, he'll rest longer if he stays still. Do you have a bed, I'll move him to a more comfortable area?"

Ali numbly pointed in the direction on her room and the man scooped Seto up with ease, mumbling about him being far too thin.

Ali sat silently as the CEO was transported. She'd caused the most indifferent person she knew to faint. Mr. Sanji seemed so mad, too, like Seto had brought it on himself. For some reason this upset the Russian. Who did the old man think he was, judging Seto like that?

The doctor returned, and grabbed his bag. "Keep an eye on him, he'll be angry when he wakes up. Luckily this happened at his girlfriend's house and not elsewhere."

"No, I'm not his--"

"Good night, try to get some rest yourself." The doctor quipped, not listening and sauntered out of the apartment. Ali didn't move for a few minutes. She was dumbfounded.

Eventually, however, she stood up, shakily from the stop where she was kneeling and tip-toed to her bedroom.

Seto was lying on top of the covers, perfectly straight. She frowned, flawless posture even in his sleep? She moved closer until she was at the edge of the bed, staring down at him.

It was dark in the room, save for a lamp on the side table. The soft light glowing off his face, made Ali's heart hurt. She'd been so mean to him this past little while… was this because of her? Was she the extra stress?

Slowly, she climbed onto the bed, until she was sitting near Seto's shoulders. She watched in awe as his chest rose and fell softly, the doctor had removed his coat so he was left in a white dress shirt. Ali wanted to laugh, Seto had worn a dress shirt and black pants to a concert?

"It wasn't a business meeting." She muttered, realizing it was more fun to tease a conscious Seto.

Sighing, she relaxed her body and let herself lay down also, it was her bed after all… and she was tired.

She frowned, no, that wasn't true. It felt like some intangible bond was keeping her from leaving the CEO she so enjoyed torturing. Sighing, Ali rested her head on the pillow and kept her eyes on his sleeping face.

"Wake up and yell at me…" she whispered, raking her eyes over her entire body. When he didn't respond, she frowned sadly and scooted closer.

Since he was asleep, it wouldn't hurt to inspect something that had been nagging her for months.

She slowly reached for his wrist and stared at it. The thin white scar that was usually hidden under a cuff seemed especially obvious in the soft light, or maybe it was just because she was looking for it.

She stared at it for a few moments, it looked like something had cut into his wrist, and then it hit her.

The picture he saw, Kanata was handcuffed, she remembered seeing the same scars on Kanata's wrists… from struggling with handcuffs.

She didn't even notice the tears until one fell from her eyes to Seto's hand. She tried to shake it off, but it didn't work. How long had it been since she had cried over a man?

She cried about her lost twin from time-to-time. She had cried over Kanata more than once, but she hadn't cried for someone over the age of ten… ever.

Slowly, she pulled Seto's wrist to her dry lips and kissed the scar gently. This time, he couldn't pull away. A soft heat spread through her limbs. And she did it again, relishing in the warmth, even if his skin was cool.

Dropping Seto's wrist, she ran her fingers up the side of his arm and neck until they were embedded in his hair. Curling her small hands in the chestnut strands, Ali pulled his head closer to her until their foreheads were touching.

She closed her eyes and felt his warn breath on her face, mint, lime and coriander flooded her scent and she sighed, happily. She softened her grip on his hair, and rested her arms around his neck.

If the doctor was right, and this didn't last long then she would have a _very _angry CEO on her hands when he awoke, but at the moment she didn't care. Contrary to everything she had been telling herself for so long, her feelings for Seto were not quite hatred.

And in comparison to this small moment of happiness, kissing her lawyer—who just barely resembled the CEO—seemed like a waste of time.

* * *

**More to come.**  
_REVIEW! _(If I get lots of feedback, maybe Seto won't wake up _too _angry, no I am not ashamed of such bribery.)

You guys are my favourite!  
KC.


	29. Despite the Insanity

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **29

**Title:** Despite the Insanity

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

* * *

Seto stirred in his sleep, his eyes flitted open momentarily before he clamped them shut again, it was pitch black. He tried to recall falling asleep, but couldn't. All he knew was that it felt good to sleep so rather than question it, he was ready to let his ever-busy mind drift off again.

Against him, another figure stirred also and backed into him. He was already lying on his side, his hips curved around the back of the figure. He immediately assumed it was Mokuba, his brother was the only person who ever crawled into bed with him so late.

Naturally, Seto pulled his arms around the sleeping figure. Mokuba only snuck into his bed after a nightmare, Seto was momentarily puzzled as to how he had not woken the moment Mokuba stepped into his hall. Even a shift in the air usually had the CEO startled awake. But again, he numbed the questions.

Only as he breathed in, did he notice that something was off. The back of Mokuba's head was tucked against Seto's chest, but rather than the kid's thick hair tickling his nose, it seemed limper than usual. And it was giving off the smell of cigarettes, and wildflowers. Seto frowned softly, he smelled just like Ali.

Seto didn't generally recognize scents, but after Ali had lain on his bed the week before, he had her smell memorized. It seemed to rub off on all of his things these days. No matter what he did, he was inhaling smoke and wildflowers, now even his baby brother reeked.

He moved his arm to pull away when things got even stranger.

Mokuba had most certainly _not_ had those curves last time he checked.

Then, it hit him like a brick. Seto recalled the concert, Mokuba's pleas to visit Ali, walking in on Ali groping his lawyer… the photo. He felt a hot white pain explode into his chest.

He hadn't realized the extent to which Ali's actions were justified, before that moment. It wasn't often that the CEO was overwhelmed, but in that moment he couldn't even see straight. Seto pursed his lips; Ali had seen him in a way that only Mokuba and his doctor had ever seen him.

And she was lying next to him, on what must be her bed. She wasn't calling all her friends and laughing about it, she wasn't gone away so she'd never have to see him again. She'd seen him, weak… and she was closer than ever.

The brunette didn't move, he was too caught up in the hurricane raging in his mind. He couldn't get Kanata's broken face out of his head; he let his eyes open again. As he waited for them to adjust, he tried to recall the anatomy of the condo, plotting his quickest escape.

Ali stirred again and flipped around so that she was facing him, a loud grunt escaping her lips. Seto simply watched as she pulled her face into his chest and shivered lightly. He realized that they were atop the covers… she must be cold?

A loud snore escaped from her and Seto rolled his eyes, he must have been truly out of it to be able to sleep through _that_. He shifted away from her on the bed, and swung his feet over the side, he didn't know the time, but it had been eleven-ish when he'd arrived at Ali's apartment, and it was still dark outside so he couldn't have been out… too long.

The moment they were no longer touching, Ali rolled over a few times and muttered some incoherent string of words in Russian before her breathing signalled that she had awoken. For some reason Seto was suddenly curious.

"What is your first language?" he asked, his voice low as his vocal cords were not entirely awake yet.

"I grew up speaking mostly Russian," she yawned, pulling herself into a sitting position, "'cause I was in Russia. Then when we moved to America I learned English."

"Your parents met in Russia?" Seto's feet were still dangling off the side of the bed, but he wasn't making a break for it quite yet.

"Yeah, my dad liked to travel, and he met my mom on one of his adventures. Accidentally knocked her up, and since they're both old fashioned, they got married in Russia." Ali was waking up slowly, "Why?"

The CEO didn't answer, he didn't really have time to, as in seconds a realization hit Ali and she threw herself at him. Snatching him from behind and pulling his face around.

"You're up!" she said.

Seto rolled his eyes, leave it too the blonde to never notice things when a normal person would.

"Are you alright? Do you have a headache? Are you drowsy?" she began interrogating him, while scooting around so that she was sitting next to him on the edge of the bed. Now that Seto's eyes had adjusted, he could see the whites of her eyes glowing slightly in the dark.

"Fine." He grunted back, and standing up. He hated being treated like he was weak, even by someone as pathetic as Ali.

"Hold on," Ali jumped up as well, "your doctor wanted me to--"

"You called my doctor?!" Seto hissed. He hated his doctor, the man patronized him and accused him, but Seto wouldn't let him quit because he wanted to keep the people who had his medical record limited.

Ali blinked, "You fainted on my fucking floor, what was I supposed to do, watch TV?!"

"I did not faint." He growled back, striding to the wall and flicking up the light switch. Immediately both teens squinted and winced from the sudden assault on their vision. Once it didn't hurt to look anymore, Ali stared at Seto, her jaw dropped.

"Oh my God! You look awful!" she exclaimed staring at the CEO. His skin was paler than usual and his eyes looked glassy and dark. She immediately jumped to his side, blocking the path out the door. "Go back to bed, Doctor Sanji said you need to sleep."

Seto stared down at her, she had an extremely defiant look on her face, but her bottom lip was swollen and red. Her posture insisted that he obey, but one look into her eyes showed that she was tired, and worried.

Sighing, he took a step back and closed his eyes.

From a moment both teens stood in silence. Finally, Seto spoke.

"You're scared."

He reopened his eyes and Ali was looking up at him, her fingers toying with a loose string on the over-sized t-shirt she had on. She bit down on her lip again, and blinked.

"I'm terrified, Seto." She whispered. Both of them knew that they were no longer talking about Seto's episode.

"What are your chances?"

"I don't have any." Her voice was choked up and her eyes now averting his. "I… I don't know what to do…"

Ali took a quick step forward and wrapped her arms around Seto's waist, burying her face in her chest. "Tell me what to do." Her voice was muffled by his chest, but Seto understood. Her arms squeezed tighter, desperate for an answer. He was reminded of the way Mokuba used to latch on to him, crying and asking when their parents would come and get them from the orphanage.

Unsure of what to do, the brunette placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her away from him, but keeping her close enough that her fingers were still at the hem of his pants. He stared into her dark brown eyes and could literally feel the pain they held shooting into his heart. It was the first time someone had made his heart jump like that in years.

"We're going to need coffee." He said; his voice firm, but in no way hostile.

Ali nodded and turned to lead him from the room.

--

When Ali woke for the second time, the sun was only just coming up from the horizon. She had fallen asleep at some point during the early hours of the morning, while going over the entire case with Seto. He had remained silent for much of it, looking away from pictures, seeming distant during her descriptions, but while he hadn't said much, Ali knew that he had been supporting and agreeing with everything she said.

As she dragged her feet down the hall to her washroom, she wondered where he had gone. Surely, she had fallen asleep before he left. She searched the coffee table for a note, telling her he was gone, or offering a 'good luck' for the day ahead. There was nothing, typical Seto, leaving without a trace or a care.

After she had showered and put on clothes that Mai had specifically picked out for the date, she stared at herself in the mirror. A pair of tailored white trousers and a matching jacket, at least she would look ready.

She brushed though her hair after it had dried, feeling numb and detached through the entire process. In her mind, she was locking herself up in a white room where she would never have to face the world. One moment in time lasting forever so that reality could never progress.

Unfortunately, it was not the case… time flew. Before she knew it she was gathering her papers and piling them neatly into a briefcase with the Kaiba Corp. logo on it. Would she be more reliable since it was known that she was backed by the richest man in Japan? Or would that only make the situation more suspicious.

Ali was sure that someone could perceive her affiliation with Kaiba Corp. as some sort of rivalry between Seto Kaiba and Takao Kijiou. She winced as she imagined the amount of press that would without a doubt be involved in the trial, all the cameras flashing as she was hauled off to jail, and the scum-bag was set free.

She sighed, "No kidding myself, now. This is my last day of freedom." She pulled open the drawer of her coffee table and pulled out a tattered magazine she had purchased, months ago. Seto Kaiba's face graced the cover, along with headlines about successful business advice. She flipped through it until she found the most worn pages.

There were a few pictures of Set at press conferences and in board meetings and on one page, in huge bold font, a quote.

'_I expect the best. If someone can't make it work, they are out of work.'_

Ali signed, padding her fingers across a picture of the CEO speaking at some sort of convention. Would she be letting him down if she couldn't save Kanata? Would he hate her for being unable to keep the child from the hands of a man who would eventually kill him in one way or another?

She returned the magazine to its original place, and stared at the clock, Mai would be picking her up in only a matter of minutes. Sighing, she gave herself a long-lasting dose of insulin because she probably wouldn't have much time to later, and she needed to keep her head clear. She lit a cigarette as she waited, wondering if it could be her last… surely, they didn't allow smoking in jail.

She sighed, again. Mokuba was in school by now, it was almost nine in the morning… Seto must be at work. She chuckled and shook her head, realizing that if not for the trial she would surely be bored out of her mind and eventually wind up bothering Seto at his office.

By the time Mai buzzed up, letting Ali know that it was time to go, the Russian had achieved a completely calm façade, if she was going to be burning at the stake, at least she'd look cool and collected.

Smiling to the door-man—not knowing if she would have another chance to—she stepped into the icy January air in the parking lot, her eyes found Mai's Mercedes quickly, and she slid into the passenger seat.

"Hey, girl."

"Hi Mai." Ali smiled, trying not to let her nerves make themselves obvious. But she was never the best at lying.

Mai rested her well-manicured hand on Ali's shoulder, "It'll be just fine, hun." She encouraged. "Besides, you look amazing."

"Courtesy of you…" Ali smirked, aside from her socks and underwear, everything she was wearing had been designed by the American woman, herself. "Shameless agenda pushing…"

"Oh you bet, when you put that bastard away, I want people to know you were wearing _Valentine_." Mai joked. Ali smiled, softly, whether her friend was just saying it to help, or whether she truly meant it… it was nice to hear.

The drove in silence, there were no words to be said. The air was comfortable, as if both girls were sending subliminal messages to each other of comfort and love. When they finally pulled onto the street where the court house was located, the comfort turned to tension.

The entire street was covered with press, news stations and random onlookers.

"I guess they didn't think to leave a parking space open…" Mai grumbled, sarcastically in an attempt to lighten the mood. Ali barely registered her friends voice, she was staring out the window, her eyes picking apart the crowd, hoping to see a black Volvo, or a Kaiba Corp. limo.

There was neither.

Finally, Mai found an open space near the doors, one that had been reserved for trial participants. She parked the car and pulled her keys out of the ignition.

"Are you ready?" she asked, gently. Her blue eyes were fixed on Ali, reading every movement and interpreting them in the way only a best friend can.

"I guess I have to be…"

"You will be great." Mai pulled the Russian into a hug. "Trust the system, you have done nothing wrong."

Ali felt the overwhelming urge to burst into tears, but held it off… just as she had the night before, in Seto's arms. She simply nodded and pulled back. Mai placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Let's go."

Outside, cameras, microphones, and reporters greeted Ali.

"Can you give us the details of the case miss? Are you directly involved?" the asked both girls. Ali was pleased to know that the details of the trial had not become public information yet. Takao Kijiou knew how to do press.

Ali pulled her chin up as she climbed the steps to the building, the lawyer who had been chosen to represent her in court stood at the top of the stairs, waiting. The man was in his forties, and didn't believe in the trial-and-error theory. In a way, he reminded Ali of Seto, but while Seto was a human in disguise, this man seemed to just be an extremely strict robot.

He nodded at her and the proceeded to enter the building, Ali slammed the door in the face of the press. Mai gave a parting smile and sauntered to find a place to wait.

"Mr. Kijiou arrived ten minutes ago, we are ready to start any time." The lawyer grunted, holding open the door to the court room. Ali's senses blanked.

The room was huge, and too much like the ones she had seen on all the crime shows she and Joey watched together, she felt guilt, suddenly wondering what Joey was doing. Why hadn't she talked to more people about the situation? It would certainly be more comforting know that Mai wasn't the only one in the room waiting for her.

"Mr. Hiaru?" she muttered to her lawyer, "Good luck."

"And to you Miss Shvakova." The man responded as the stepped down the aisle, both with their heads held high, Ali was determined to look confident in the eye of the storm.

"Good morning your honour." Mr. Hiaru greeted the judge who had, far escalated, in front of them. Ali nodded curtly, as well as she took her seat at one of the tables next to the second lawyer at her table, and Mr. Hiaru slid in next to her. She sent a sideways glace to the table on the other side.

Takao Kijiou and his lawyer sat, looking just as confident. Takao was a short, thick, who simple reeked of power. At first glance, anyone would believe that he had the trial in the bag. Ali bit her lip, he just might…

After all the traditional opening speeches and oaths, which Ali had been briefed on by the lawyers, she was immediately called to the stand. She sat, escalated and stared down at the court room. Mai was sitting in the crowd, keeping a resigned smile of encouragement on her face. Ali took a deep breathe and kept the mask of confidence on.

One of Takao's two lawyers rose—Reiki Komoro the man who had visited Seto's mansion that night so long ago—and walked forward until he was standing in front of her, his steely grey eyes stared at Ali. She wanted to bite her lip, but fought of the urge, knowing it would make her appear weak. Instead, she chose to chew on the barbell sticking through her tongue. She was suddenly extremely pleased that she had decided to get it pierced.

"Aldorina have you and Mr. Kijiou ever spoken one-on-one?" the man immediately launched into questioning.

"No." Ali replied, honestly. Even when he had offered her money for her testimony, he had sent someone else to make the offer.

"So what makes you think you have the right to accuse him of child abuse?"

Ali blinked, "I knew Kanata well, and it is not a coincidence that he had not spoken since you took me out of his life."

"How can we be sure that it is not simply trauma from the kidnapping?"

Ali straightened herself out, "He has not been allowed to see me, has he? If I could see him, I would ask."

"Yes well, your lawyers have maintained the right to call Kanata to the stand should the opportunity arise." The man smirked. Ali frowned, she had known this, both sides had reserved the right to call Kanata to the stand. But the group home he had been placed in would not allow him to testify.

Ali was sure that Takao had paid them to keep the kid quiet, if he wanted his step-son in the courtroom, he would already be there.

"You have no evidence, Miss Shvakova. You have no witnesses, you have no solid proof that Mr. Kijiou is anything but the victim of having his only child taken away from him. Give up now and let's just negotiate your sentence."

"Objection!" Mr. Hiaru shouted, standing up. "Harassment."

"Overruled," the judge responded, turning to Ali, she was a woman in her fifties, perhaps. "the counsellor has a point, Miss Shvakova. Do you have anything except speculation in this case, or are you wasting time that I don't have?" her words were sharp and Ali felt her heart jump.

Wasn't this supposed to happen later? It had barely been ten minutes and already she was facing losing the trial. Ali forced her mouth open, hoping something would come out on its own.

It didn't have to.

The court room doors slammed open and all heads turned, Ali's ears were assaulted by the familiar sound of polished dress shoes clicking against the floor at a fast pace. But her eyes immediately rested on a young boy.

She felt her eyes widen, Kanata's hair was so much healthier than when she had last seen him, sick, thin and beaten. His blue eyes sparkled with determination, the bags under his eyes were gone. The child and his escort pushed to the front of the room, Kanata gave Ali a quick nod. Ali knew what it meant, he was not here to go against her…

Her eyes felt it safe enough to study the figure next to Kanata. A black suit tipped her off that this wasn't spur-of-the-moment, he had planned it. His brown hair fell softly on his face and he stared up at the judge.

"I believe both parties have reserved the right to question Kanata Kijiou should the opportunity arise?" he asked the judge. Ali smiled, despite everything he had pulled through, again. Sweeping in to save the day.

"May I ask your name, sir?" the judge inquired, obviously shocked by the turn of events.

The man turned to Ali, his devilish green eyes flickering with triumph, "I am Mikhail Sonnath."

* * *

**Don't hate me. I was trying to screw with you guys all along. I was happy no one predicted what I was actually planning… haha, psyche. Sorry it took so long… I'm working on a bit of a home-studio project. I'll be updating me blog with more info, if you're interested! Video responses are up from last chapter! Check it out.**

**ALSO! If everyone who reviewed on the last chapter reviews on this one I swear I won't take an entire week to update. I'll put my project on hold. Writing is my calling, after all… music is just a hobby. **

**KC**


	30. Juliet Was A Liar

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **30

**Title:** Juliet Was a Liar

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

**NOTE: I'll have the review responses up in a day or two. Hopefully by tomorrow. Sorry for the wait. EVERYONE should review on this chapter. :)**

**EDITTTTTTT: 'Kay, I know a few people have reviewed already, and I've messaged them about it; but for those of you reading this just now: head on over to my DeviantArt account for a special surprise. READ THE CHAPTER FIRST! Or else you'll spoil it by looking at the picture!**

* * *

Ali stared, her fingers clenching the edge of her seat as Kanata spoke, his voice shaking and his eyes glued to his hands, spilling everything she had wanted to prove. The courtroom was dead with silence, aside from Mikhail's occasional prompting whenever the child fell quiet.

His sky-blue eyes held more confidence than when Ali had last seen them, and with his cropped blonde hair and light freckles, she was again reminded of how much he reminded her of Lancifer. Maybe it had all started with the resemblance, maybe it would all end soon.

Her lawyers sat on either side of her, trying to look indifferent, but seeming unable to hide their shock at the turn of events. Mr. Hairu's robotic was etched in a deep relief, Ali turned for a moment to meet his eyes. She smiled.

"This is all quite unexpected…" the judge said slowly. Her face was blank as she stared from Kanata to Mikhail before they landed on Ali. "Is this the truth as you knew it, Miss Shvakova."

Ali nodded quickly, "Yes, ma'am."

The elder woman nodded and turned her face to Takao Kijiou, "Are you aware the position this puts you in?"

The man's face was indifferent, but the light sheen of sweat covering his brow gave his anxiety away. "That is all false."

"Actually, Mr. Kijiou," Mikhail started, winking quickly at Ali "I have been involved with this case from the beginning, and I have admissible evidence should Kanata's testimony not be enough."

"Stolen evidence is not admis--" the man's lawyer started, but Mikhail held a hand up.

"A moment?" he requested, the judge nodded. Mikhail made his way to the table where Ali was sitting. He set the briefcase he was carrying down in front of her and popped it open.

"You came." Ali whispered as the brunette rooted through his files.

"You're helpless, I had no choice." He replied glancing up at the blonde quickly. "You look better than you did before." He pointed out.

Ali bit her lip, she certainly felt better, despite the stress. She couldn't deny that since Mikhail had left she'd had more time to concentrate on herself, she couldn't deny that she felt better than she had in years.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but Mikhail was facing the judge and holding a single Polaroid. "When Mr. Kijiou filed his charges against Ali, he disposed of all evidence against him. Most of it was properly discarded, but he was careless with one piece of evidence." He approached her at her desk, and placed the Polaroid in front of her. "This was taken from his trash, he threw out and therefore it is not stolen."

The judge stared at the photo, her eyes flickered to Kanata quickly, an obvious belief in them.

"As you can see, in the reflection the camera caught behind Kanata, it is clear that Takao was in fact the one taking the picture."

"I see that." The judge murmured, turning the photo over and staring at Ali. "You are free to go, Miss Shvakova. It is clear that you involvement with this was strictly for the child's benefit. In the future, however, report such cases to the authorities before taking things into your own hands." Ali nodded, numbly.

"As for you, Mr. Kijiou," The woman continued, "you are clearly at fault. You will remain here until your sentence is decided."

Ali stopped listening, inside she felt her heart skip a beat and what felt like fireworks exploded in her. Minutes must have passed before she snapped back, because when she did Kanata's arms were wrapped around her waist.

The Russian dropped to her knees and embraced the boy, running her fingers through his hair and kissing his face softly. She didn't even realize the tears streaming down her face until she felt him wiping them away for her.

"I'm going to Canada, there is a family there that wants to take care of me." The boy spoke in her ear, around them everyone was speculating but Ali didn't care, for once.

"Finally." She hugged him tighter, "I would take care of you if I could, you know that, right?" she was sobbing, feeling the guilt and sadness mix with the joy of being able to hold the boy in her arms and know he wasn't going back to a monster when she left him go.

"I know." Kanata nodded into her shoulder, "You'll visit?"

"Yes." The Russian choked, she didn't want to let go, but above her Mikhail cleared his throat.

She stood up shakily, keeping her hand wrapped protectively around Kanata's. "Thank you." She said slowly, her eyes meeting with the piercing green orbs she had sworn her eternal hatred for what felt like so long ago.

The lawyer nodded, his eyes flickered to Kanata then back to the blonde. "I have to take him."

Ali bit down on her lip, she didn't want to let go of the child, but she knew that if she didn't he would never live a normal life. "Do you have to take him now?"

Mikhail nodded again and ushered her around so that they were walking back out of the courtroom, Mai smiled at Ali and quickly joined her side. The three walked in silence until they were in the lobby. Ali bent to embrace Kanata again and Mai stared at Mikhail.

"I never thought I'd see you around, again." She said flatly.

"Yes, well…" Mikhail's voice was low so that Ali couldn't hear him over the soft conversation she was having with Kanata. "I always get what I want, regardless of measures."

Mai frowned, and opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off.

"Yes, I know, Valentine 'break her heart and I'll break your legs', you've said it before. But Ali likes it and she'll keep crawling back time after time. Trust me." He winked, Mai took a step back and looked down at Ali and Kanata, smiling at each other and talking about the pine trees in Canada.

"You're sick." She spat, looking back at the brunette. He only shrugged.

"We need to go now, Kanata." He took the child's hand and pulled him to the exit door, Ali and Mai trailing behind. Once they were outside they were assaulted by the press. Ali blinked in the light of cameras and grabbed Kanata's shoulder, pulling him out of Mikhail's clutch and into her own safety.

"Do you have any comments on what just happened?" One woman asked, shoving a microphone into Ali's face. The blonde tried to push it away, but Mikhail stepped in.

"You will not be seeing Mr. Kijiou much in the future." He said smoothly. Immediately everyone started shouting more questions for the lawyer who, of course, answered them mysteriously, letting as little information as possible out.

Ali tried to keep Kanata hidden, Takao Kijiou hadn't made a spectacle of his stepson, but the majority of people knew Kanata's face and who he was, when they saw him. Luckily, Mai was at her side, shooing away all the reporters who approached them.

Quickly ducking through the crowds, Ali thanked whatever divine force had made her inherit her father's short stature. Once they were on the sidewalk away from the news teams she turned and smiled at the blonde boy.

"Made it." She joked; he giggled lightly. They stood aside for a while until the crowd began to disperse, realizing that they had milked all they could from Mikhail, and beginning to fear the glares that Mai was giving off. Finally the lawyer returned to Ali and the kid.

"Come on." He pulled Kanata gently towards where his black car was parked on the curb.

"Wait!" Ali cried, she sprinted to a reporter and grabbed his Polaroid camera, "I want a reminder."

Kanata smiled when she ducked down next to him and draped her arm over his shoulders, she snapped a picture and pulled it out of the camera.

"One for me, too." Kanata smiled.

The both held up a hand and spread their fingers in a 'V' for victory and she snapped another.

"You promise you'll write, and visit?" the child asked, as he was pulled away by Mikhail.

"Here's my number," Ali pulled a pen out her pocket and scrawled her phone number on his Polaroid. "and if you can't get a hold of me, get in touch with Kaiba Corp., tell them that you need to talk to Seto, and he'll let me know." She explained while Kanata listened.

Mai shot a meaningful glance at Mikhail, who frowned. "Come on."

"Bye." Ali sighed, pulling the blonde boy into one last hug, "But not for long—we'll talk soon, okay?"

"'Kay." The kid nodded before being led off and placed in the back seat of Mikhail's car. Ali waved as they drove away.

"Wow…" she breathed once the car was out of sight, "I can't believe Mikhail pulled through for me…"

"Ali don't you think, maybe--" Mai started, but Ali's eyes caught something and she immediately shouted.

"Seto?!"

Sure enough, the CEO's car was parked on the opposite side of the street, he was standing next to it, leaning against the hood, his white coat blowing softly in the winter breeze. He stared at Ali, having not expected to find her looking so… happy.

The blonde shot across the street faster than Mai could blink, a car slammed on its brakes and honked at the Russian, but she didn't care. The second she hit the other side, she jumped on the CEO, draping her arms around his neck and hanging off him.

"I'm alive! I'm free! I made it!" she screeched into his ear, the brunette kept his hands glued to his side and pulled out of her grip. His blue eyes studied her closely, not knowing what to say. When he had decided to come down, he had assumed it would be the last time he saw the blonde. He hadn't expected to see her victorious. He had already come to terms with her being gone, even before she really was.

"You said you had no chance…" he muttered.

Ali cocked her head, "Yeah… but I made it, though." She paused, "Why aren't you happy?"

Seto stared, still. Neither of their eyes caught Mai slipping into her car.

"Why aren't you happy?" she asked again, her tone more demanding this time. "Did you _want_ me gone?"

No reaction, Seto was just staring blankly. He looked like someone had just told him that his company had crashed. Ali bit her lip; his reaction to her freedom was the same as his own demise?

"What the hell is your problem!?" she shouted, pulling her face closer to his so that her angry breath moved his hair slightly. Her brown eyes caught his blue ones so that they were staring at each other; she shivered, though she couldn't blame it entirely on the cold wind.

Quickly, Seto pulled himself back into the drivers seat of his car, and Ali had to step back quickly as the car sped off, leaving her confused and angry. She whirled around and stomped to Mai's car.

"What was that about?" the American woman asked, looking up from applying lipstick in her rear-view mirror.

"Ugh, who cares. I need a drink, celebratory bar time?" she suggested, buckling herself into the passenger seat.

Mai pursed her lips and returned the tube of lipstick to her purse as Ali was lighting a cigarette.

"Actually, Ali…" she started nervously, "I told Joey I'd meet up with him when you were done."

Ali rolled her window down and blew smoke into the cool air as Mai began to drive, "Why are you meeting up with Joey?" she asked curiously.

Mai's eyes flicked to the Russian, she look genuinely clueless. She decided that it wouldn't hurt to keep it that way. "I'm just checking up with him to see if he has any friends who would be capable of doing a shoot with us—we're short on male models. I remember he used to have a friend named Bakura, I wonder if he's still around."

"Oh."

Ali stared out the window as Mai drove to her condo, she chewed on her lip, for some reason she hoped that Seto had gone back to the office, rather than home. Being only a short walk away from the CEO freaked her out, at the moment.

The two drove in silence for the remainder of the time, Mai hoping that Ali wouldn't ask anymore questions, and Ali lost in thought. When they pulled up beside the building the Russian said a quick thank-you and jogged into the lobby.

"Welcome back, Miss Shvakova." The doorman said, smiling as he opened the elevator for her. Ali stayed silent as she stepped in.

When she unlocked her door and stepped in, she was too out of it to notice the pair of black polished shoes until she tripped over them and fell to her knees. For a moment she just stared at the ground, her hands holding her up as she kneeled.

Then she let loose, her arms wrapped around her stomach and her forehead rested on the floor as she cried. At first it was quiet, but in minutes she was sobbing hysterically, her face felt puffy and her hair was tangled by the time she pulled herself up from the ground.

It wasn't fair, she had worked so hard and in the end, had to be saved, again. She had worked for over a year to keep Kanata safe and now he was being shipped off to a different country, where she would be able to visit only occasionally, to top it all off, Seto hadn't even congratulated her.

More tears slipped down her face as she kicked off her shoes and pulled off the white overcoat and dropped it to the floor, not bothering with the closet. She immediately turned to her bedroom and unbuttoned her blouse, kicking off her pants as well.

The tears never halting as she pulled on a pair of old pyjama pants and a too-big t-shirt. She looked at her bed for a moment, tempted to just jump straight in, but she decided to grab a drink and replace the water she was steadily losing from her crying.

She stepped into her living room and froze.

Seto was sitting on her couch, his eyes already locked on her. His coat lay, discarded, on the opposite end of the couch. His black turtleneck hugging his boney body. Ali sniffed and tried to pull herself together, she wiped a few tears away with the back of her hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice shook, but she ignored it. She had seen him only minutes ago, and he had left, almost mad.

"Why are you crying?" Seto's voice was as cold as the air outside, "You won."

"Yeah, you could say that." She muttered, dragging her feet as she stepped near the couch. "What do you want?"

Seto looked out the window at the far side of the room, "What did they do with Kanata?"

Ali looked to the floor, of course he would want to know… he had probably just forgotten to ask, earlier. She mentally kicked herself for thinking he was here for her.

"He was adopted by a Canadian family. He's probably on his plane already." She sighed, "Mikhail took him."

Seto's eyes snapped to her, "What?"

"Mikhail showed up with Kanata, he's the reason I got to come home tonight." Ali held herself straight, and kept blinking back the tears that wanted to fall. She wished Seto wasn't in her home, she wished she could lay down and scream and cry in peace.

The CEO didn't catch on to the fact that her eyes weren't drying, the tears weren't falling anymore, but he failed to notice that she was holding more back. "He's getting married next week." He said, oddly enough he had received an invitation. Seto had assumed it was just the lawyer sucking up to his highest boss, since they had met briefly.

Ali sucked in a breath and fought off the strange emotion that engulfed her whenever she thought of it. "I…know." She let the air out in a gust.

Seto sensed her anxiety, "You still aren't over it." He pointed out, his voice sounded a lot more accusing aloud than it had in his mind.

Ali immediately switched into defensive mode, "Did you want something, or are you just here because I haven't been through enough today?"

Seto stood up, "You _won_, you are not suffering."

In moments Ali was in front of him, too close for the second time that day. "Don't come in here and tell me what I am feeling!" she shouted in his face, blue eyes fluttered against the hot breath reaching his face. "You don't even have feelings, so don't pretend like you know how they work!"

Seto started down with just as much hostility as she was directing at him, "You surround yourself with theatrics and drama so you don't have to deal with your real self, and see how pathetic you are."

Ali reached a hand up and, faster than Seto could register, slapped him hard across the cheek. His head swung to the side, and for a moment he stayed like that, hair covering his eyes.

Ali lowered her hand, as he turned back, an angry hand-print across his pale cheek.

"You're not a god." She hissed.

"You're not a martyr." The brunette countered, his voice much steadier than hers. "Stop playing the part."

Ali felt the anger bubble through her, "I hate you!" she shouted, so loud the surrounding condos must have heard.

She whirled around to get away from the CEO who was lodged under her skin, picking out all the flaws and laying them before her. But she didn't stop, after turning and moved a full 360-degrees until she was facing him again.

Not missing a beat she raised both hands and placed them behind Seto head, fingers tangling in his hair and she slammed his face down. Their lips met with a crash.

Seto's eyes widened, his hands idle at his sides and he was bent over until he felt Ali's chapped lips against his. Her fingers tightened in his hair, she gave a sharp pull, when he opened his mouth, slightly, from the shock she slipped her tongue in.

Ali slid her tongue along everything it had access to, Seto's lips, his perfectly straight teeth, and his velvety tongue. She let the cloud in her mind stay opaque, she didn't want to know what she was thinking.

Only when she felt the CEO twitch, did she pull away, wanting to get away before he came out of shock and did something drastic. For a moment he stared at her, blue eyes seeing everything and nothing at the same time.

Ali said nothing, she only continued to the kitchen, where she had been heading in the beginning. Only when she turned on the tap did she hear the door of her apartment slam shut, behind Seto.

As soon as he was gone, she shut off the water and stared out through a window. She frowned. Her tears had barely been containable before, yet now she felt no longing to cry. Through the window, she caught sight of a black Volvo pulling out of the parking lot.

She downed the entire glass of water in a moment before deciding that if she was going to make it through the night, she would need something stronger. She strode to the freezer and yanked it open, pulling out a bottle of vodka.

She grabbed a glass as well and walked back in the direction of her bedroom.

"Vodka…" she muttered, "for when you don't hate him as much as you thought you did…"

* * *

R&R  
KC.


	31. Big Friendly JerkFace

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **31

**Title:** Big Friendly Jerk-Face

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

* * *

Ali sprinted through the chilly afternoon air, hugging her jacket around herself. It was new, and she was trying not to pick at the stitching, after all Mai wouldn't be impressed, seeing one of her designs ruined. As she walked quickly she caught her reflection in the window of a passing car, her hair was flitting around her face courtesy of the light wind and the jacket was whiter than the snow. She frowned to herself, how did Mai expect her to keep the thing clean? Surely her friend knew that Ali was incapable of making it through a meal without spilling _something_.

She shook her head, the day had been busy she'd spent the better part of it with Mai, picking out models for the next shoot and, of course, Mai forcing Ali to try on anything that would fit her. The Russian hadn't expected things to blow over so easily, or so quickly, it was too calm, too eerie, but she ignored the feeling. She was just too fixated on her stint the day before.

Mai didn't even know about Ali's sudden compulsion toward Seto, and there wasn't much about Ali that the American didn't know. Of course, Mai had noticed something was off, Ali could tell when her friend was suspicious. It probably hadn't helped that the only model she'd agreed on was a tall, thin brunette. Blue-eyed of course, though Ali had wished his eyes were closer to cerulean than the turquoise. Ali gave a short sigh, jumping down from the curb of the sidewalk and jogging across the street. She smirked when Mokuba's school came into view.

The blonde could almost hug herself for her brilliant planning, it was the only thing that kept her from sitting alone in shock. She had decided that the best solution to her… problem, was to pick Mokuba up from school. Every day.

She grinned, if she picked him up and took him back to her apartment for the lessons, she would never run in to Seto. Never have to explain herself. She wanted to laugh at her brilliance, but held back, not wanting the icy air rushing into her lungs too quickly.

As she approached the school's gate, her jaw dropped.

The building was bigger than the Kaiba's mansion, and looked a million times more foreboding. She shuddered as she slipped through the gates and up the driveway, having attended a regular public school when she was his age, the thought of sitting in such a building for six hours a day horrified her.

She pulled out her cell phone to check the time, Mokuba wouldn't be getting out of class for another fifteen minutes, she was early.

She was early.

Ali frowned, she couldn't remember the last time she had actually been early for something—she barely even made it on time to most parts of her life. She decided that it was Seto's fault, he was the cause of her anxiety, and anxiety was the reason she would be standing outside in the cold for fifteen minutes.

She kicked at a piece of ice and watched it fly down the driveway from where she had just come. Her eyes rolled to the grey sky, and entirely colourless day, lovely. She chewed at her chapped lips as her eyes scanned around.

There was some extremely fancy looking playground equipment, but she had a feeling that the kids didn't get much time to play outside. A few cars were parked around her in the driveway, probably waiting to pick someone up, too. All extremely expensive looking, yet refined.

Ali snorted, all that money and they aren't driving around in a yellow Lamborghini? She analyzed them, there was a silver Benz, a white Porsche that she was sure Mai would have drool over, a black Volvo and…

Ali's head whipped back so fast that she felt is crack and swore loudly. The windows were tinted, but she could practically feel the oversized ego radiating from the vehicle. She swore again.

Her plan was a failure, the _one_ time Seto leaves work early, he ends up with the same idea as her. And it, of course, had to happen on the last day she wanted to see him.

Weighing her options for a moment, the blonde decided to go with the best idea.

She got a running start and dove behind the nearest trash bin.

She squeezed up against the wall behind it, cheering herself on for her ability to make the best of a bad situation. It only took a few short moments before the cold brick of the wall had absorbed the small amount of body heat she had left and left her shivering violently.

"Maybe… not the best idea." She muttered to herself through chattering teeth. She realized that she had two options—either she was stuck in the cold, uncomfortable position for the next fifteen to twenty minutes, until Seto had taken off with Mokuba, or she would have to stand up and deal with the fact that Seto would see her.

She frowned, neither sounded particularly appealing, really. But at least she hadn't gone on a whim and made out with the wall behind the dumpster… so at the moment, it was her best friend. She snuggled into her coat, happy that it was wool and could contain what warmth was left.

She pulled a cigarette out from her bag and lit it, pulling the warm smoke into her lungs, hoping it would calm her down. It worked, and soon she was just waiting for the school to be dismissed and Mokuba to hop into his brother's car so she could sprint home.

She was so absorbed in her plans for escape she didn't hear the small footsteps until they stopped directly in front of her.

"Uh… Ali?"

The Russian's head snapped up and her eyes met with a very confused pair of stormy blue ones. "Mokuba?" she asked, surprised.

"No," he replied, sarcastically, "I just look like him."

Ali frowned, the child was defiantly Seto's brother. "What are you doing?"

"I got dismissed five minutes early, 'cause I finished my work…" he paused, "I saw smoke coming from behind here and thought there might be a fire. What are you doing?"

"I'm…" Ali searched for an excuse, "playing hide-and-seek!"

"With who."

"… stop asking questions." Ali whined, pulling herself up, groaning slightly as her back straightened out.

Mokuba shrugged, "Well Seto's car is here. So come on, we'll give you a ride. I was thinking that I want to spend more time learning about drums."

The colour in Ali's face drowned, and she was chanting a mantra of 'damn damn damn' in her head. What was she supposed to say to the kid? 'Sorry, I kissed your brother and now I have to stay away or face a humiliating death' just didn't seem like it would get her off the hook.

Before she could think up something more intelligent, Mokuba got bored and grabbed her hand, yanking her out from behind the cover of the trash bin. She stood still once she was out in the open, her eyes staring blankly at Seto's Volvo.

"What's wrong? Come on." The raven-haired boy was getting more and more impatient, and Ali stopped staring at the Volvo to stare at him.

"What's wrong with you? Since when are you _not_ the most patient person in the world?" she cocked her head to the side, something was going on with the child.

Before he could answer the bell rang and moments later they were swarmed by students, all chatting loudly in their coats and crisp uniforms. Ali felt Mokuba's hand tighten around hers.

A young girl came hopping toward them, her red hair bouncing around her face. She stopped inches away and stared at Ali for a moment, "No smoking on school property." She pointed out. Her voice was high and demanding, for a moment Ali flirted with the idea of dropping her cigarette into the snow. The girl didn't seem like the kind of kid to be messed around with.

"We're leaving, anyway." Mokuba growled, pulling Ali toward Seto's car. The blonde blinked, had Mokuba just… growled?

"Wait! Mokuba!" the redhead girl chased after them. She was small, but Ali guessed that she was Mokuba's age. "I'm having a party at my manor this weekend, do you want to come."

The boy ignored her and continued pulling Ali, before she was pushed into the backseat of Seto's car she caught the girl looking extremely hurt and turning away.

Mokuba slammed the car door behind Ali and ran around to join Seto in the front of the car. Ali was too shocked to fully comprehend what had happened until Mokuba whirled around in the passenger and faced her.

"Why did you stand around there!? Now she's going to ask questions!"

Ali's eyes were glued on the back of Seto's head, wide with horror. She was in his car, he wasn't even five feet from her. What if he said something?

Worse yet, what if he _didn't_ say anything? What if he didn't acknowledge her presence ever again? She was distracted from her thoughts when she noticed Mokuba glaring at her.

Mokuba was glaring.

Apparently the make-you-shit-your-pants-with-my-eyes look was genetic.

"M-Mokie?" she asked, slowly… he looked too much like Seto—albeit, Seto on a _good_ day—at the moment for her to speak normally.

"Why didn't you leave when I asked you to!? Now Cherri is going to ask questions!" he repeated.

Ali folded her brows for a moment, before realizing that 'Cherri' must be the red-haired girl who invited Mokuba to her house. "So?" she wondered, "She seemed nice enough…"

"Well she's _not_!" the child snapped, then he glanced at Seto, who seemed to be focusing on backing out of the school's driveway, "I'll explain later."

Ali bit her lip, it was unusual for Mokuba to be so hostile toward someone. But she shrugged it off, it was the least of her problems. She toyed with a stray lock of hair, flicking her cigarette ashes in the ashtray on the door every now and then. There were a few minutes of silence before Mokuba sighed loudly and reached toward the radio, he flicked it on and music screamed though the car.

'_I kissed a girl, and I liked it,  
the taste of her cherry chapstick.  
I kissed a girl ju--'_

Seto literally slapped the power button, shutting it off, the car swerved into the next lane as he was doing it, luckily he regained control quickly enough to avoid danger.

Not quickly for him to avoid Mokuba's enraged mood, though.

"What is wrong with you!?" The kid yelled at Seto. "You could have killed us! Just because you didn't want to hear a stupid song on the--"

"Be quiet." Seto commanded, his voice was loud and cold. Ali's jaw dropped.

In all the time she had known Seto and his brother, this was the first time that the brunette had displayed even the slightest bit of anger toward the child. Definitely the first time he had raised his voice.

Mokuba was not so shocked.

"No! You came home so late last night, you wouldn't answer any of messages today, and you refuse to tell me what's wrong with you!" Mokuba was screaming now, tears beginning to form in his eyes, eyes which he quickly turned on Ali. "And you!" he started, "I saw you leaving a court house on the news last night! You never told me anything was going on! You both won't tell me anything!"

Ali was literally gaping, it was all too unreal. Mokuba, who never seemed to have a problem with anything, was screaming at her. And Seto. She had been so sure that they were closer than air, so sure that their perfect relationship.

Mokuba stared out his window, his tears streaming down his face now, while Ali sat in shock and Seto stared at the road, his knuckled white from gripping so roughly. It was like this for ten minutes until Ali released her seatbelt with a click.

She leaned forward until her arms were dangling over Mokuba's seat on the car. She wrapped them around him as much as she could, trying to ignore the fact that the headrest was crushing into her face.

He didn't respond for a moment, be soon enough she felt his hand wrap itself around hers.

"Sorry." He muttered, sincerely.

"Me too." Ali replied as quietly, stroking his hair with her free hand.

--

"…and he' just been acting weird for days." Mokuba finished, looking up at Ali from the piano bench. She was perched atop the white parlour grand, strumming quietly at an acoustic guitar. They had been shut up in the music room for half an hour since they had arrived at the Kaibas' house. Mokuba had immediately laughed into a vent about all of his problems with Seto, to which Ali had listened silently.

Apparently, the brunette had been even quieter than usual for the past week, and unlike usually, when he would just talk to Mokuba about work… he wouldn't say anything. The child was deeply upset, by it all, claiming that Seto was never so shut off—at least not from him.

Ali's palms were sweating as she tried to think of something to say. She wanted to tell Mokuba that Seto was just a douche bag, anyway, and not to worry about it. But, it felt terrible to just think of saying it.

"Well…" she started, "I think you should tell him exactly what you just told me…" she tried.

Mokuba looked disappointed, "I was hoping you could help more than that…"

Ali put down the guitar and hopped off the piano, to stand next to the kid. "Why are you taking it out on that Cherri, girl?" What a fitting name, given her hair.

"Ugh…" Mokuba groaned, "She won't leave me alone! And everyone likes her, so they think I should too, but I don't!" he whined.

Ali blinked, "God, I don't miss being a kid…" she laughed. "Okay… here's what's up," she cracked her knuckles in preparation, "She likes you."

Mokuba cocked an eyebrow, "Well, I know that. But I don't _want_ to be her friend."

"No, we're not talking about friendship, Mokie. She wants your body."

"EW!" the boy cried, jumping up, "Why?"

Ali laughed lightly, "If I knew the answer to that, I'd be thrown in jail for child abuse." She stopped laughing, and bit her lip realizing that what she had said wasn't at all funny. Mokuba smirked.

"I guess so. But I… really, _really_ don't like her, Ali…"

"Yeah, that's going to be your life, kid. You're cute, talented and completely loaded. You'll be getting unwanted attention." She laughed, ruffling Mokuba's hair.

The child sighed and started playing the sheet music propped up in the piano; Ali smiled as she stepped away from him. "I'm going to go get food, I'm starving. Be right back."

He nodded and she left the music room.

As the Russian descended the stairs, she listened closely for any sign that Seto might be anywhere but his office, but there were no sounds, so she sped up thinking it safe. She moved quickly, hoping to snatch a small snack and run back upstairs but skidded to a halt the moment she entered the kitchen.

Seto sat at the table, a glass of water in front of him, a newspaper folded next to it. She held her breath, as she watched him. His head was lowered, something she had never seen before, as far as she could recall. One of his hands was wrapped around the glass, the other was lying across his forehead.

It was the closest thing she could think of to Seto with his head in his hands. Her heart leapt, and her teeth chewed on the barbell in her tongue. During all the time she was listening to Mokuba complain, she had never pinpointed the feeling that made her not want to join in and rant about the CEO.

It was guilt.

Because deep inside, she knew that Seto would be just as affected by Mokuba's anger. Because they _were_ closer than air, and it couldn't feel good to have someone you love so much mad at you.

Her lungs were burning and she suddenly realized that she hadn't been breathing in the midst of her revelation. She let out the idle air in her lungs she quickly, that Seto's head snapped up and his eyes met with her.

"You have nerve coming back here." He said quickly.

"You could've just stopped at 'you have nerve'…" Ali said quietly, taking a few steps toward him, but stopping when she second guessed it. "Are… you okay?"

"I'm fine." He snapped, standing up, leaving the newspaper and the water abandoned. He tried to step around her, but her spoke again.

"Sorry about yesterday." She said it quickly and deliberately kept her eyes away from him. He stopped and looked at her. "I was just, messed up from the trial… you know?" she tried to sound convincing. It was the truth, after all. She had been so exhausted and confused, that she had finally done something she'd wanted to do for some time.

Seto narrowed his eyes, "I hope you don't think that will fix it. You assaulted me."

Ali whirled to look at him, and snorted, "Oh please, assault? Don't act like you didn't like it."

"Excuse me?"

"Well you sure weren't fighting back!" Ali defended, her face heating up with anger.

Seto didn't say anything.

"Oh," Ali said dramatically, "pressed for words, are we? Just fess up and admit it, you want me."

"I _want_ you to leave." Seto came back, his eyes wide and angered.

Ali opened her mouth to insult the CEO, but something caught her eye. The locket that he always wore, the same locket that Mokuba hadn't even taken off in his fit of rage, was hanging open. She remembered that the brothers kept pictures of their younger selves in there.

As if it was the most natural thing in the world, she lifted her hand and stroked it gently. "I think you guys need to talk."

The subject was changed so easily; neither of the teens gave a thought to the argument as they stared at the locket in Ali's hand.

"I know." Seto replied, his voice quiet.

"Seto, Mokie knows that you're human. What's hurting him is that you refuse to accept it." She said, looking up into his cerulean eyes, "No one expects you to be perfect, you play the part well but sometimes you really need to stop acting."

Seto studied her face; she was perfectly calm, considering the fight they had just hopped out of. Her dark eyes were fixed on him, he was always surprised when he looked in her eyes—they shone with an innocence that she certainly didn't have.

"Go talk to him. I'll stay here." She stepped back and moved to the closest counter, standing on the tips of her toes to open one of the cupboards. She spotted a bag of cookies on the top shelf and reached her arm high to get it, but the bag was still just out of her grasp.

She didn't even hear Seto come up behind her, until his on of his hands was on the counter, next to her and his other reached up with ease and reached the cookies. He set them down on the counter for her and without a word, sauntered from the room.

Ali stood perfectly still for a moment. Seto wasn't as mad as she had thought, or maybe the situation with his brother just happened to override his irritation with the blonde.

Either way, she grinned as she hoisted herself up onto the counter and began munching down on the cookies. Seto wasn't _that_ mad. Life would go on.

"And here I was thinking I'd never be able to talk to him again." She chuckled to herself.

"Miss Ali, we all know that you can't stay away from Master Kaiba, don't fool yourself."

Ali shouted loudly, snapping her head around and noticing that Roswell had just entered the room, it had been a while since she'd actually seen Seto's butler. She smirked, she could use someone to annoy.

"What's wrong, Lurch, jealous?" she asked, coyly.

The old man only rolled his eyes, "Things are certainly more interesting around here these days. I'll give you that, Miss Ali."

* * *

KC.


	32. Just Can't Lie

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **32

**Title:** Just Can't Lie

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

* * *

Seto stared around the board room, he was seated at the end of a long table, listening to people babble on about their ideas for advertising. Someone was at the front showing a chart that only told him what he already knew, and what happened _every_ year. After Christmas, sales dropped. Anyone with half a brain could predict it, yet each year everyone seemed so surprised, every year his employees tried to come up with a solution.

He crossed his long fingers in front of his face, wondering why he couldn't keep his attention on the presentation. Even after years of dealing with the same issue, he'd never been truly bored by the monotony of it, yet now… he just wanted to find an excuse to leave.

Everyone in the room picked up on his mood quickly, the fearful expressions on their faces were extremely entertaining, for Seto. He tried to recall what was so different now, as opposed to the past years, the past meetings. When had he started craving the slightest bit of entertainment?

He frowned, which caused the man presenting the chart to shudder. How was he supposed to know that the CEO's thoughts were anywhere but in the board room?

His eyebrows folded. Perhaps Ali's appearance in his life had shown him just how uninteresting so much of what he did could be. Maybe it was her fault that he couldn't concentrate like he used to. But, how could he? He was still trying to figure out the logic behind her full-on assault on him a few days before.

He still hadn't received a decent explanation on why she'd decided to force herself onto him. In fact, ever since, she'd been completely nonchalant. She didn't mention it, she didn't do it again, and she didn't seem to even remember the incident.

And, for some reason, this bothered Seto more than the incident had.

How could she just _throw_ herself at him, and then pass it off like nothing had happened? He wasn't just anyone, and he certainly wasn't like the Mutt or any of her past boy-toys. He was Seto Kaiba, he had more wealth and respect than the majority of the world leaders.

Hell, he practically _was _a world leader.

And Ali had blatantly disrespected him. She'd pressed her inferior body against him, like she believed she had the _right_ to.

Her short, soft, warm, inviting body…

Seto shook his head. He didn't like the Russian, she offended him and all he stood for.

But still, the cool metal of her tongue piercing against his mouth had been a different sensation. Certainly not something he'd ever experienced before. It was just his hormones and male mind state that had left him wondering what the cool metal would feel like in _other_ places.

"Mr. Kaiba?" one of the board members asked, by the sound of his voice, Seto guessed that it wasn't the first time the man had tried to get his attention.

"What?" he snapped back, though he was thankful for the distraction from his thoughts.

"Is… that a friend… of yours?" he asked, the word 'friend' was said with hesitation, most people know that the infamous CEO didn't bother with useless things such as friendship.

Seto followed the young man's eyes; he had turn around to see what everyone was looking at. The walls in the board room were glass, letting everyone see out, and anyone peek in.

At the moment Ali was peeking in. Well, she was making a face that looked like Seto's death glare, with her eyes crossed and tongue hanging out. She uncrossed her eyes when she noticed the CEO looking, she was silenced by the glass, but it looked like she was stifling a chuckle.

Seto's eyes widened slightly. If he believed in magic, or anything of the sort, he would have accused Ali of mind-reading—or something—long ago. She always seemed to be right behind him, whenever his thoughts would wander in her direction.

She knocked on the glass and smiled at Seto. He noted, that she looked like a kitten with Down's syndrome when she smiled like that, all her teeth showing—it was completely false of course, Seto knew Ali well enough to know that she only smiled so dramatically around strangers. Her real smile was smaller, it wasn't an obnoxious grin; she would tuck in her chin, slightly and turn her eyes up at the source of her amusement.

The brunette blinked, since when did he watch her smiles so closely? He felt a spark of irritation fire through his chest; Ali was getting under his skin. He stood up swiftly and stared around that the members of the board.

"I'm leaving. I don't know when I will be back. Don't bother rescheduling." He said evenly, turning to leave, despite the mutters of protest. With Ali, he never knew if he would be occupied for five minutes or a week, so he might as well just cancel.

He closed the door behind himself, Ali kept smiling.

"What?" he snapped, it came out slightly harsher than he had intended, but that's how it was with the Russian, he never knew how he would react.

"I'm bored." She cocked her head to the side and studied the CEO. He was wearing a white suit with a blue tie that was—whether intentionally, or not—the exact colour of his eyes.

"Aldorina," he started, taking her by the wrist and pulling her down the hall and into the elevator, he would need his car keys, "this may come as a shock to you, but some people have things to do. The entire world can't stop turning to entertain you." He punched the button to the top floor, dropping Ali's wrist at the same time.

She pouted, "Well I don't want the whole world to drop what they're doing." She smirked, "Just you. And I'm _really _bored, I can't do anything. Mai is using my apartment for a shoot, and I can't go home."

"I thought you were helping her with her photographs. Shouldn't you be there?" Seto asked, keeping his eyes straight ahead, the best way to keep his responses steady was to keep his eyes off the blonde.

"Yeah," her voice sounded upset, "that was the plan. But if I hang around there, I'll eventually throw down one of the models and screw him senseless. I figured I'd come over here, since you're gross and I'm not tempted to rape you."

Seto snorted, "Really, now?" he turned to her, "When did this new development come in?"

"Seto, I was sick and stressed out, it was a one-time thing. You repulse me." He could tell she was lying; she always glanced quickly at her nose when she lied. Perhaps a habit from taking Pinocchio too seriously as a child.

"I'm sure." The CEO shrugged.

"I'm only here because I'm bored!" she said, her voice was louder now, and irritation etched over her face.

"Of course."

His nonchalant answers were getting to her, he could tell, her shoulders straightened and she stood a little taller. She took a step forward, her dark eyes threatening him to challenge her again.

"Read my lips, bastard," she pointed at her mouth for emphasis, "I. Do. Not. Like. You."

The corners of Seto's lips turned up, "I already read them. They said something entirely different." His voice was cocky, and he knew it. But the day had been such a bore thus far; it couldn't hurt to stir up a little entertainment.

He leaned down, to make a point. Ali's eyes widened slightly, she was still pointing to her mouth, frozen. Seto liked it, she look surprised, even scared, he could practically see the gears turning behind her eyes. She didn't know what he was going to do next, she couldn't tell if he would close the few inches of space left between them, or if she should. Or if he was going to bite her, or yell at her.

Seto felt a warm satisfaction spread over him. Ali was the most unpredictable person he knew, and now he had her on her toes. He'd never taken mind games out of the office before, he was used to only 'messing with' other CEO's pr his employees that irritated him, but this was a new level of satisfaction.

Unfortunately, it was at that moment when the elevator pulled to a stop and the doors opened for the top floor. He jerked back quickly, but not quickly enough to keep from being seen by anyone near the elevator.

He stepped out of the lift and Ali trailed behind him toward his office. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see that she was trailing her fingers along the wall in the hallway.

"Don't leave your fingerprints on everything." He scowled, stopping at the door.

Ali smirked, "I already have, though." She winked and let herself through the door.

Seto stood still for a moment, lingering on the thought. It was true, wasn't it? Her marks were all over everything in his life. He watched as she started rummaging through the drawers of his desk, probably looking for his keys. He frowned again; Ali had changed everything in his life, irreparably.

--

"Mooookkkiiiiieee!" Ali screeched, bounding down the stairs the moment the child stepped through the front door.

The child looked up at her and smiled, pulling off his jacket, "Hi Ali."

"Did you have a good day?" she asked, taking his school bag from him and swinging it over her shoulder. Roswell had stopped greeting Mokuba off school when Ali was over, she always knew when he was home.

Mokuba shrugged, "Cherri invited me to her party, again…"

Ali cocked her head to the side, a grin breaking out on her face. "You like her."

Stormy eyes snapped up, "I do not." He insisted.

"Yeah, whatever." The blonde shrugged it off, "So you're not going, then?" she started toward the living room, Mokuba following quickly.

"Well…" he started, watching Ali plop down on the couch, "I think I might. Just because there will be other people, an stuff." He said quickly, trying to sound nonchalant, but the sparkle in Ali's eyes suggested that she saw through the façade.

"Sure, sure."

"Where's Seto?" the kid asked, changing the subject.

"He's brooding in his office." She jerked her head toward the office doors. "He's being a bigger bastard than usual today."

Mokuba rolled his eyes, "You're so hard on him."

"I am not!" Ali shouted, "If anything, he's hard on _me_!" she protested. "Nothing I ever do is good enough for God-almighty."

Mokuba smirked, "And you think I'm the one with a crush."

Ali glared at him, but let the conversation die. She knew that Mokuba was like his brother in the way that neither of them would give up when they thought they were right. "Damn Kaiba genes…" she muttered, pulling a textbook out of the school bag and studying it.

The comfortable silence was interrupted by the sound of Seto's office doors swinging open. He stormed out, holding his cell phone to his ear and looking hostile.

"What do you mean '_crashed_'? The system is flawless!" he shouted into the receiver, as he stormed across the room. "You're completely down?!"

"I think Seto's mad." Ali whispered to Mokuba, using her best 'little-girl' voice.

Mokuba was staring at his brother, worry evident on his face. The brunette stopped at the end of the room, still shouting into the receiver.

"_Everything_?" he asked, choking on his own breath. Ali was more than shocked, it was the first time she had seen Seto so… insanely angry. He stood still, back to the two on the couch. "Get everyone out, I don't want anything else being tampered with. I will be there." He snapped, ending the call.

The room was silent for a moment before Mokuba stood up, "Seto?" he asked tentatively.

Seto turned around slowly, it was obvious that he was trying to keep his face from contorting in anger—at least when speaking to Mokuba.

"It's fine. Are you okay to eat dinner alone?"

Mokuba nodded, "I'll be fine, Ali is here."

"I was going to take her with me."

Mokuba tried to conceal the shock on his face as he nodded, "Okay. Will you be home late?"

Seto shook his head and looked to Ali who was still sitting on the couch, utterly confused. He signalled for her to follow, and turned out of the room. With a disoriented glance at Mokuba she hopped up and followed him out quickly.

"Be good." She shot back at the child who rolled his eyes.

"Seto!" Ali called, slipping her coat on, hopping into her Doc Martins and jogging down the front steps of the mansion. The CEO was already halfway to his car when she finally caught up. "What's going on?"

Seto kept walking, he was silent as they slipped into his car, only when he was backing out of the drive did he finally speak.

"My American headquarters crashed. Apparently they were infected by some new virus that managed to get through my firewall." He was scowling as he turned down the road.

Ali blinked, "So?"

"I need to fix it."

"And here I thought you were taking me out for a romantic dinner…" Ali drawled.

"I am." He said curtly. "Sans the romance, of course." His eyes stayed fixed on the road while Ali blanched.

"Wait… what? Why?" she looked nervous now. In her experience with mean, rich people, they were only nice when they wanted something. Something they couldn't buy, which usually mean it was a bad idea.

"Because you tend to be more agreeable when you have food in your mouth, Aldorina. And I have a somewhat grand favour to ask."

Ali bit her lip, she looked around the car quickly before she lifted her hands.

"Let me out you sick bastard!" she screeched. She was using her hands to try and unlock her door, while her feet were kicking at Seto, to keep him at bay… even though he hadn't been attacking her.

The CEO swerved a few times, shouting over the Russian's howls while trying to push her away. Finally, he pulled the car over to the side of the road and parked it.

"What in the Hell, Ali?" he yelled, turning his angry face to her.

"You can't have my kidneys!" she screamed, pointing an accusatory finger at the brunette.

Seto blinked, he looked at Ali's scared face and the way she was clutching at the door with one hand and for her bag with the other—probably in search of pepper spray. He was holding one of her ankles to keep her from kicking at him.

He started to chuckle quietly.

The Russian stared, Seto was… laughing? Lightly, yes. But she'd never heard him laugh before, when she got past the oddness of it, she noticed that it wasn't a terrible sight. The way his lips parted, just slightly, gave his perfect teeth the opportunity to peek through and sparkle just lightly in the twilight lighting.

He grip went slack and she just watched for a few moments, until the laughter stopped. It didn't fade away like someone who was gradually regaining control, it just stopped. It was as if Seto had allowed himself to laugh aloud for a just a few moments in front of the girl, but then changed his mind.

"I don't want any of your vital organs." He said, his voice was low and he leaned a little closer.

"Well then why couldn't you just ask me back there?" she shoved a hand in the direction of the house from which they had just come. "Why take me off all alone, when everyone knows you don't like being around me, unless it wa--"

"I want you to come to America with me."

Ali stopped talking. For a minute she even stopped breathing. When it was obvious that she was not going to respond, Seto continued.

"It's a hardware issue, and I'm not comfortable with anyone else fiddling with my technology. I would leave tomorrow. Unless you don't want to--"

"No!" Ali cut him off, "I mean, yes. I mean… I don't know. I guess it would be nice to visit home and stuff. But are you sure that you want me to come? What about Mokie?"

"Mokuba will be fine, he's dealt with me being gone before."

"That doesn't make it alright." She grumbled.

"We'll be back in two days. Three at most."

Ali thought it over, her parents would love it if she showed up, it _had_ been a while since she'd visited her friend. Then, of course, there was the fact that Mikhail was getting married. Seeing him hand his future away to someone else—even if she knew it was for business purposes only—could really help her to get over him, per se.

"Okay." She said slowly. "But you're paying for the trip."

Seto rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her eyebrows folding.

"Yes."

"You're being really weird today…" the blonde said slowly, keeping her dark eyes trained on the CEO. Her train of thought changed, though, when her stomach growled loudly.

Seto rolled his eyes again, and turned the car back on.

"We're still going out for dinner, right?" Ali asked, "I'm hungry."

"Yes."

"You're paying, right?"

"Yes."

"So… it's like a date."

"No."

"Yes it is."

Seto glanced at Ali, "No it's not."

"Why not?"

"Because if it was a date I'd be taking you somewhere I know you like."

"Where are we going, then?"

"For sushi."

Ali launched into her second fit of shouting and thrashing while Seto smirked slightly. Not only was life different with her around, it was, arguably, better.

* * *

KC.


	33. The Denial Twist

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **33

**Title:** The Denial Twist

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

**Chapter Disclaimer: Clearly, I don't own Metro Station. And yes, the opinion is biased. Sowwy.**

* * *

Seto knocked on the door to Ali's apartment, it was six in the morning and their plane would be leaving soon. Of course, knowing the blonde, she was probably still asleep.

It seemed that he was right, because after the third knock the door still remained closed. Seto turned the handle and it opened easily. He made a point to reprimand her later for leaving her door unlocked while she slept. The apartment was quiet, but as he got closer to her door he could hear her light snores.

"Ali." He said, slipping the bedroom door. "Get up."

She was like a rock, not even slightly disturbed by that fact that there was someone else in her home. It was still dark, save for the few pastel pink rays of dawn light, filtering through her window and across the room.

The CEO got closer to her bed, and noticed that in her sleep, she had managed to pull not only the blankets up, but the sheets off the bed, too. She was lying under—literally—a pile of blankets. She looked so tiny under them, like they could crush her.

The daintiness of the scene was ruined when she grunted in her sleep and kicked a leg out from under the pile. Seto smirked when he noticed her pyjamas; they were blue, decorated with tiny grey toasters. He was sure that he had seen Mokuba wearing an identical pair.

"Ali."

"I'm sleeping." She muttered quietly. Seto smirked again, only Ali would give such a response in her unconscious state.

"I know, but do you think you could wake up?" he asked, rolling his eyes. When she didn't respond, he prodded her leg with his finger. A hand flew out from the pile to swat him away.

"Go…" she whined, "I'm trying to dream."

"You can dream on the plane. Wake up." Seto poked her with a little more force and this time she rolled over, the pile of blankets fell off one side of the bed and her eyes fluttered open.

"Now I'm cold." She groaned, pulling herself up so that she was sitting on the bed, she crossed her legs and began rubbing her eyes.

Seto felt a smile threaten to break out across his face, she looked just like Mokuba. Her hair was messed up to the point where it was sticking out in random places. She yawned loudly.

"Oh hi, Seto." She greeted, when she finally focused. "What are you doing?"

"We need to get going soon." Of course, he knew that Ali managed to drag everything out, so he had made sure to arrive at her apartment early enough for her to take forever getting ready, and still be on time.

"Oh." She yawned again. "I need caffeine, and… cigarette."

Seto glanced around the room, on her bedside table was an ashtray and a pack of cigarettes, he stepped close enough to grab them and handed them to the sleepy blonde.

"I'll go put on coffee." He said, turning and exiting the room.

When he was in the kitchen, he noticed how terrible Ali's housekeeping skills were. Dirty dishes were piled in the sink, the counter was covered in crumbs, which suggested that she had been eating off the counter rather than washing her dishes and using them. He rolled his eyes and ran enough water to clean two mugs while he turned on the coffee machine.

"What are you doing?" Ali's voice came from behind him, he didn't even need to look at her face, he could hear the shock in her voice.

"I'm not going to drink out of a dirty mug, Aldorina, that's _your_ thing."

"No… I mean," she came up behind him and he could smell the hot, choking scent of her cigarette, "you're doing… dishes. You're cleaning!" she pointed at him like he had just dropped from another planet.

"Yes, you should watch closely. It might help you."

"But," Ali protested, "I have never seen you clean _anything_! You have so many maids and crap… I just assumed you hired them because you didn't know how!"

"I don't have the time to clean up after a twelve-year-old kid, of course with you running around my house so often the cleaning crew is working overtime." Seto snorted.

Ali's jaw dropped in hurt, "That's not true! I'm not messy!"

Seto looked around the kitchen dramatically, the kitchen was overflowing with papers, dishes, food, everything was out of place. Ali looked around, too, and decided to drop her argument.

She flicked her ashes into the sink of dishwater as he was pulling out the second mug, and she ignored his look of annoyance.

"Well I packed last night. So after I get coffee I'll go shower and then we can go." She shrugged, "Oh… why did you want me to come anyway?"

Seto frowned, turning around and pouring the coffee. He had hoped that she wouldn't ask, but that was too much to hope with Ali. Her curiosity was her downfall. Luckily, she hadn't asked him the night before, so he'd had all night to think up an excuse. She couldn't know the truth quite yet.

"I don't trust you alone with Mokuba." He slid one of the mugs across the counter to her, and watched as she began dumping sugar into it, and dropping an ice cube in. Seto rolled his eyes, the blonde seemed to have an aversion to anything hot on her tongue. She sent him an annoyed glance but didn't elaborate on the subject.

"We're going to New York, right?"

"Yes."

"Great." She finished her coffee in several large gulps and stared at the counter thoughtfully. Seto stayed standing, too, sipping his own coffee.

"I'll go shower, there's cereal over there if you're hungry." She waved a hand to a corner of the counted cluttered with boxes and cans of food.

"You are aware that there are cupboards in here, right?" he asked sarcastically. But she was already halfway down the hall, and the only response he got was a middle finger over-the-shoulder.

The second he heard her shower turn on, he pulled out his cell phone and dialled his maid's headquarters; if the kitchen was left in this state much longer, there would be undiscovered life forms growing in it.

And Ali was just too much of a free spirit to do dishes.

--

"Aren't girls supposed to be the ones with the inability to pack lightly?" Ali mocked while Seto pulled his luggage from the back of the limo. There were three large black—designer, of course—suitcases, and a duffle. "Three days shouldn't mean three suitcases." She snorted, clutching her own, worn, purple duffle bag.

Seto ignored her, swung his duffle over his shoulder, pulled a suitcase into each hand and stared at the other. He hadn't asked anyone to help him at the airport because he knew that Ali hated his 'servants following him around like he had a steak taped to his ass.' She stared laughing when she noticed that he wasn't even able to carry his own luggage.

"You're such a loser. Come on, rich boy, you're holding us up." She pulled his final suitcase behind her as she skipped into the airport. She smiled widely when they got inside. "It has been too long since I've flown." She grinned.

Seto looked around, there were already people noticing him. It was the one thing he hated about taking commercial planes, airports.

Ali was either totally unaware or uncaring of the eyes following them, and the whispers. She just kept walking to the loading area.

"Seto Kaiba!" someone shouted, loudly.

Both Ali and Seto turned to see where the voice had come from. Two brunette girls were bounding toward them. In one hand they each had a purse and in the other, a camera. They looked like they could be sisters.

"This is so cool!" one of them exclaimed, "We only just got off the plane, and already we get to meet Seto Kaiba! Japan is awesome."

The other one was smiling just as widely, "Could we get a picture?" she asked the CEO. He was in the middle of shaking his head to decline, but Ali put a hand on his back and pushed him forward.

The girls took turns taking pictures then said their goodbyes and jogged back to the other end of the airport where two men—probably their boyfriends—were waiting patiently, holding luggage.

"Well that was cute." Ali said once they started walking again. Her eyes were on the ground, though.

"Jealous?" Seto joked. He pulled the duffle off his shoulder to hand it to the woman in customs.

"A little." Ali said lowly, but when he turned to look at her, she was already showing her ticket and luggage tags to another of the women. When they were done she immediately began chattering on about how surprised her parents would be, and how she hadn't seen her father since Christmas.

She managed to keep talking as they boarded the plane, Seto, not being able to get a word in edge-wise, stopped listening as they stepped into the first-class cabin.

"Man, nothing beats this." Ali smiled, dancing out in front of him and checking her ticket number to find their seats.

Seto blinked, he had expected Ali to be surprised when stepping into first class, but she looked like she was walking into an old house.

She must have read his mind because a moment later she explained, "I used to fly first-class whenever I was flying with Mikhail."

"Hn." Seto nodded and slid into his seat, closest to the window. Ali plopped down in hers, next to him, frowning at him for leaving her with the aisle seat. She watched as he pulled his laptop onto his lap and immediately logged onto the Kaiba Corp. server.

"Workaholism kills." She muttered as she pulled a worn book out of her purse.

"Workaholism isn't a word." Seto muttered back, typing furiously.

The two sat in silence for twenty more minutes, Ali's eyes darting over pages that she had nearly memorized from years of re-reading and Seto trying to get as much done as he could, before the plane took off and he lost his connection. More passengers stepped into the cabin, a few of them nodded to Seto as they walked past, other businessmen that were acquainted with him.

Ali tried to ignore the looks she received from the same men that gave Seto respectful nods. They looked at her as if she were an enemy on their turf, but she just kept her eyes glued to the words, promising to herself that she wouldn't let the men get under her skin. She could understand how odd she looked to the world next to Seto Kaiba, billionaire CEO's and high school drop-outs didn't generally keep company.

Seto noticed the condescending glances Ali was receiving, too. Every time someone would squint their eyes and turn their nose up at her he felt the urge to glare back that them. He resisted, because he didn't know where the instinct came from.

"Oh my God! Seto!" Ali suddenly whispered excitedly to him, blue eyes glared up from the screen of his laptop.

"What?" he hissed back.

She pointed a finger—as subtly as she could—in the direction of a group of boys entering the cabin. They were all clad in tight jeans and obscure t-shirts, if he didn't know better, he would have expected to see Wheeler trailing behind them.

"What?" he hissed, again.

"Mokuba _loves_ them!" she whispered, her eyes turned back to him, wide with excitement. "Please tell me that you have a camera on you."

Seto blinked, it hadn't even occurred to him, in all the years that he had been travelling, to keep an eye out for celebrities that Mokuba liked.

"Oh, never mind!" she grinned, "My phone has a camera, right?" she pulled her phone out of her bag, "Come with me."

Seto muttered a few words of objection but they fell on deaf ears as Ali tugged at his cuffs. So, he rose from his seat and followed the blonde to where the boys were getting settled into their seats.

"Hi guys!" she chirped, smiling her wide, dramatic smile. Seto kept his eyes on her face, "Metro Station, right?"

The boys nodded, and smiled back. It was clear that they were used to being addressed by fans.

Ali smiled again, she reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet. Seto watched in confusion as she pulled out a picture of Mokuba. It could only have been taken a few months ago at most.

"So his brother," she motioned to Seto, "is a huge fan. Do you think we could get a picture?" she asked. The band nodded, smiling.

Seto was caught off guard when Ali shoved the picture into one of the boy's hands and gave the CEO a nudge towards the groups.

"What?" she hissed at her.

"I want you to be in the picture, too. He'll like it."

Seto didn't say anything else, Ali seemed to know what made Mokuba happy when it came to these things. So we stood with the band, the boys smiled, one of them held up Mokuba's picture while Ali snapped photos.

"Thanks." She smiled, tucking the picture and her phone away. "Now do me a favour and stop making horrible music." She turned on her heel and left the band, gaping, as she strode back to her seat.

Seto didn't bother apologizing for her, but rolled his eyes as he stepped after her.

"That was rude." He muttered, when they took their seats. This time Ali had snuck into the window seat and was glaring at Seto in a way that suggested he would be wounded if he tried to get it back.

"Whatever." She yawned, pulling her legs under her and opening her book again. Seto listened half-heartedly as the stewardess ran down emergency procedures and explained the lift off process. Ali didn't look up from her book as the plane took off, she didn't seem at all interested in her surrounding until they were finally in the air. She turned her face toward Seto and grinned mischievously.

"What now?" he sighed.

"Wanna go get freaky in the bathroom?" she asked, winking in a would-be seductive manner.

Seto rolled his eyes; it was going to be a long flight.

--

Ali dropped her bags, the moment they exited the airport in New York. She didn't seem to care that there were people trying to get around her, she stopped still in her tracks and whipped out the pack of cigarettes she had been grasping in her hand since the second hour of the flight. Seto watched with an eyebrow cocked as she lit one of the sticks with the same enthusiasm as a man stranded in the desert seeing water.

She pulled in a few lung-full's of the cancerous air, her eyes closed and her head tilted back slightly as she did so. There were a few other passengers scattered about, reacting in exactly the same manner to their first cigarette in hours.

When Seto deemed it safe, he nudged her to move out of the doorway. People were pushing and shoving to get around the nicotine deprived Russian, muttering dirty words under their breath. Seto was sure that, if not for his presence, she would certainly have been getting shouted at.

"The limo is here to pick us up." He prompted, lifting what bags he could carry and leaving Ali to haul the rest.

"Awe, you suck. New York is all about cabs, you shouldn't have arranged your prissy little limo." She said, but her voice was playful so Seto relaxed a slight bit.

The flight had been thirteen hours, after the first hour Ali had begun the slow decent into withdrawal, getting snippy and easily irritated was just the beginning. She'd walked to the washroom and back too many times for Seto to count, just for the excuse to pace.

She had screamed at a stewardess who dared to inquire what kind of sandwich she wanted for lunch. Seto had found it all quite amusing until he had received a fist to the jaw line for chuckling at one of her out bursts.

All-in-all it had been the most terrible flight he'd ever taken. He was already planning on having a private jet fly them back, just so that the blonde could smoke.

"So where are we going now?" she asked as they slid into the back seat of the limo while the driver loaded their bags up. She lit her second cigarette and rolled her window down a little to flick the ashes out.

Seto was already on his laptop, grateful to finally have his internet back. "The hotel." He answered, loudly enough so that the driver could hear. In English, since they were in America now.

When the CEO looked back up Ali was smirking at him. He raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out what the problem was.

"Seto," Ali started, "that's the cutest thing ever!" she leaned forward and tried to pinch his cheek. He frowned and swatted her hand away before she made it.

"What?" he snapped.

"You have an accent!" she giggled again.

The car turned a corner and Seto continued to glare at Ali. He had always prided himself on his multi-lingual talents, and now Ali was suggesting that there was a flaw in his English?

"I do not." he frowned.

Ali grinned, "Yeah, okay." She snickered.

Seto rolled his eyes, internally berating himself for being stupid enough to drag Ali to America. He didn't want to think about it, but his conscience would not leave him alone, there was a mantra chanting inside of his head.

_You flew her across the planet to protect her.  
You flew her across the world to keep her for yourself._

He gritted his teeth, and glanced at the blonde who was staring out of the window and grinning happily. He couldn't help but hope that she wouldn't find out what the trip to America was really about.

* * *

KC.


	34. Clothes Off

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **34

**Title:** Clothes Off

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

**Note: Ugh, I have been so sick. The bedridden, midnight trips to the hospital kind of sick. Blah. So hopefully this is okay. It's probably all you guys will get until after the Halloween weekend. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**

* * *

"Mmmm, Seto. It's so good…" Ali moaned loudly, to be heard through the blanket that was covering her face. She ran her fingers across the sheets, relishing in the fact that they were softer than anything she had ever touched. When she finally pushed her face free from the blankets, her hair was fuelled by static electricity and flying around to find something to stick to.

Seto was standing at the foot of the bed staring at her with a look on his face that told her she was getting stupider by the moment.

"Ali, your room is across the hall. Go to it."

The blonde hadn't even been into the room Seto had book for her; the moment they entered the hotel, she had followed him into his suite and thrown herself down on the bed. Then she had proceeded to roll around and moan for longer than it had taken them to drive to the hotel.

"No, what's the point? I'll be lonely. And you're going to go fix up your company-thinger soon, I figured I'd rummage through your things while you're gone." She rolled onto her stomach and pointed to his pile of luggage.

"I'm not going tonight, it's late. I'll do it tomorrow."

Ali blinked and pulled herself to her knees. She crawled across the bed until she was at the foot of it, when she placed her hand across Seto's forehead.

"You're sick, aren't you?" she asked, worriedly. She moved her hand down and poked him in the neck so hard that he saw a brief splash of light cross his vision.

"What wrong with you?" he hissed, swatting her hand away and trying to gasp for breath as subtly as he could.

"I was trying to check your pulse!" she whined, "Did I push too hard?"

The CEO stared down at her, before turning away and bending to open one of his suitcases. Ali watched, with her cheek leaned against one of the bed four posters, as he pulled out a pair of blue silk pants and a black t-shirt. He plucked a bag of toiletries from another suitcase and stood straight, again.

"Where are you going?" Ali asked when he moved towards the opposite end of the suite.

"To shower."

Ali nodded, and threw herself back down on the bed. She listened as Seto's footsteps disappeared into the washroom and the shower water could be heard. She hopped off the bed and shuffled to where her duffle was lying on the floor. She opened it and pulled out a pair of black boxers and a white tank top. She changed quickly, tossing her dirty clothes into a hamper near the bed.

She began walking through the suite when she stepped in to the adjoining kitchen. She listened for the shower water, and when she confirmed that Seto was still busy, she skipped into the center of the room.

She glanced around quickly grinning, when her eyes found a black mini-fridge sitting on one of the marble counter tops. Her smile waned when she opened it to find that it had been fully stocked with every kind of booze one could hope to find. She closed it and whirled around and pulled open the regularly sized fridge.

Her eyes lit up when she found that there was every variety of fruit and vegetable anyone could imagine already cut and prepared, no meat or dairy, the fridge was also stocked with bottles of water causing Ali to assume that the hotel had prepared certain things _specifically_ for Seto.

She pulled out a plate of kiwi, pineapple and mandarins and placed it on the counter. She checked the freezer and found a small tub of frozen vanilla yogurt. She frowned; Seto's suite was completely void of any real food.

She pulled out a small bowl from the cupboard and began spooning the frozen yogurt into it. She started humming loudly to herself, letting her mind wander to what time it was in Japan, and what Mokuba would be doing when the floor creaked behind her.

She looked over her shoulder quickly, just to confirm that it was Seto, then back to her food. But as soon as her mind registered what her eyes had seen, she did a double take.

Seto was standing in the door of the kitchen, the blue silk pyjama pants hanging, just loosely enough that they didn't fit like his usual pants—which were known to fit like a second skin. The black t-shirt was ill-fitting and hung past his hips, his hair was still slightly wet and fell over his eyes in a way that Ali would only describe as…

"Holy crap, Seto Kaiba looks like a human being." She didn't even attempt to keep her jaw from hanging open in shock.

Seto rolled his eyes and stepped past her, opening the fridge and looking through it.

"Here we have the Kaiba-beast in his most natural state," Ali took on a false Australian accent and spoke in a hushed voice, "you can see that the it is searching for food, this is a rare occurrence as the Kaiba-beast has been known to go for months without eating anything solid."

"Go to your own room." Seto drawled; pulling out a small bowl of fruit salad and a bottle of water, he glared at her over his shoulder, though not with enough intensity to really let her know she was unwanted.

"The Kaiba-beast's eyes are especially vibrant, they are used to distract prey until the direct moment of attack," Ali continued, "during attack, the Kaiba-beat's words are violent enough to--"

"If you won't leave then at least quiet down." The CEO said blandly as he moved to the mini-fridge.

Ali's eyes widened as she observed the brunette pull a bottle of champagne—the kind only _extremely_ well-off people ever got to taste—out and yank a chilled flute from the small freezer. She refused to believe she was seeing properly until she heard the distinct sound of the cork popping out, then she had to speak up.

"You're not actually going to drink that." She stated as more of a fact, than a question. Aside from when she had either forced, or challenged him to, Ali had never seen Seto approach alcohol.

"Why not?" the brunette didn't even look up at her.

"You… you never drink?" Ali tried, but when Seto glanced up she figured out that she was wrong.

She smacked her palm into her forehead, "You don't drink around Mokuba, your nineteen and own a multi-billion dollar company, of course you drink…"

Seto gave a soft half-smirk that went unnoticed by the blonde; he held up the bottle and cocked an eyebrow, wordlessly asking if she wanted any.

"No." Ali shook her head, she stepped next to him and pulled a bottle of beer from the bar fridge. "I'm a simple girl, no champagne." She smiled, making a point of using her teeth to pull the cap off.

Seto shrugged, stepping into the bedroom with his small bowl of fruit salad and his champagne. Ali followed, balancing her plate of fruit, bowl of frozen yogurt, and her beer. She was still too surprised to say much, and when she saw Seto setting his food on the mattress and opening the laptop that sat on his desk, she practically fainted in relief.

"You had me worried there." She laughed.

"Hm?" his fingers were moving so quickly, most people would assume he wasn't paying attention to the conversation, but Ali knew that Seto's multitasking skills were akin to her beer-pong experience.

"I thought you were going to _not _do any work, and I was starting to think you were--"

"I'm not doing work."

Ali blinked; she put her food down next to his and quickly moved to the CEO until she was hovering over his shoulder. On the screen of the laptop, Mokuba's face was smiling widely at them. Ali gasped, and ducked behind Seto.

"What the fuck?" she shouted.

"It's a webcam, we can see him, and he can see us. You've never used an online chat before?" Seto sounded disinterested as she continued typing to Mokuba. Ali peeked up over his shoulder at the screen.

'_Mokuba (10:12pm): Don't you and Ali have separate rooms?  
S. Kaiba (10:12pm): You know her, don't you?'_

Ali swatted Seto on the shoulder as she read over the conversation. She stared at Mokuba's face, judging by the light peering through the window of the room behind him, it was twilight. She smiled, and he smiled back, she waved and he waved back.

"That's so fuckin' crazy." She said, excitedly. "Can I talk to him?"

Seto nodded and stood up from the chair, Ali quickly slipping in to it. She stared at the keyboard and started typing slowly, pressing the keys with her index finger and pausing in between letters to search for the next.

Seto watched as the blonde struggled and couldn't help but smile slightly. But he quickly stopped when he realized that Mokuba was watching.

_'S. Kaiba (10:16pm): Hi, Mokie! It's Ali… but you can see me, right? Well anyway, you better be good, and we'll be back in time for you to go to that party. You better not sneak out! Your brother probably has a booze stash somewhere in the house so it would just be a waste of time.'_

Mokuba's image looked like it was laughing.

'_Mokuba (10:16pm): OK Ali. I love you.  
S. Kaiba (10:18pm): Yeah so does Seto. I'm just kidding, love ya, kid.'_

Ali let the brothers chat for a few more moments, while she flicked on the TV and surfed through the channels from Seto's bed. When she heard the familiar click of his laptop clicking shut, Ali let her eyes move from the TV to the CEO. He was sipping from the flute of champagne in his hand and staring at the wall, looking deep in thought.

She couldn't help but feel that something was off, Seto wasn't being himself, in fact he had been strange for some time. But she shrugged it off, not wanting to ruin any fun they might have.

"I'm ordering a movie, and suggestions?" she glued her eyes back to the screen.

"Whatever."

She flicked around for a while before she decided on something she knew would have copious amounts of explosions and homicides. Maybe if there wasn't much plot, she'd be able to get the brunette talking.

The movie started, and Ali was glad for the darkness outside when Seto switched the overhead light off and turned on a lamp. He pulled his plate of food into his knee and stared at the screen in between bites. Ali finished her fruit long before he did, and her beer bottle was empty before he had finished his champagne, too.

Finally the CEO relaxed enough to pull himself onto the bed and sit with his head against the headboard. Ali was in the center of the bed, with her legs crossed, sipping on her second beer and seeming completely engrossed in the movie. But she mustn't have been because when there was a quiet moment in the movie, she spoke up.

"So did Mokuba talk to you about that party?" she asked, turning her eyes away from the TV.

"And what do you think about it?"

Seto chewed on a piece of apple, thoughtfully, "I don't like it. But he needs to have connections with his peers."

"It's tough," Ali said as she pulled her hair into a ponytail with an elastic on her wrist, "but yeah, you have to let him do his own thing. He'll thank you for it one day."

Seto nodded, "When are you visiting your parents?"

"I figured I'd head over there some time tomorrow." She took a swig of her beer, "Did you want to come?" She frowned slightly after she asked; of course Seto wouldn't want to come. They weren't 'together' they were still working on a friendship. Well, perhaps they did have a friendship, just not the kind that most people shared with each other. They were friends who were always blunt with each other, and fought, and really liked the way he looked when he gets out of the shower.

Ali shook her head; her thoughts were heading in a direction that she didn't feel like dealing with tonight. "Sorry, what did you say?" she asked, realizing that Seto had already answered the question.

"I said, I'll have my driver take us over tomorrow." He repeated.

Ali blinked, she hadn't expected that. "Oh." It wasn't a huge deal, anyway, Seto had already met her parents once before, and they didn't seem to mind him, right? She took another sip of her beer before realizing that the bottle was empty and getting up to grab another one.

"Ali." Seto said as she was scooting to the end of the bed.

"Yeah?"

"Slow down, you have to wake up tomorrow morning."

Ali sighed, but crawled back on the bed and sprawled out at Seto's feet and reached to the night stand where she had placed her cigarettes. She placed one between her lips and held her lighter up, but Seto stopped her.

"This is a non-smoking floor."

"Fuck you; you wouldn't do that to me." Ali stared into his eyes, but there was no evidence of satire whatsoever. She swore lightly and jumped off the bed, grumbling as she yanked Seto's white trench coat off the hanger near the door.

She stormed back through the bedroom, the coat pooling at her feet, as if she were a child playing dress-up in her mother's clothes.

"Where are you going?" he inquired, watching as she fiddled with the sliding doors of the patio.

"Outside, because you're a douche." She growled.

Seto chuckled lightly, "Calm down, Shvakova. I could be smoking crack in here and no one would bat an eyelash, they know who I am. If you must, don't freeze yourself while doing it." He stared back at the TV.

Ali stared at the CEO, he wasn't joking, so she shrugged out of the coat and left it draped across a nearby chair. She plopped herself back down on the bed and grabbed one of her empty beer bottled to use to flick her ashes in to.

She watched the movie for a while longer before realizing that picking a boring film had been a double edged sword, Seto had barely said anything, and now she was too tired from the stress of the plane ride, and jetlagged to stay awake.

She was drifting off to sleep when she heard Seto's voice over the sound of yet another explosion.

"So you love Mokuba?"

"'Course." She muttered sleepily, "Don't you?"

"You're tired Shvakova. Go to bed."

"I'm in bed." She felt her cigarette burning down to the butt and dropped it in the bottle.

"_Your_ bed."

Ali rolled over so that she could see the CEO, she stared up at him, her head still on the mattress, "You know, you're the only guy who had _repeatedly_ refused to sleep with me." She whined.

Seto shook his head to hide a small smirk, he helped the blonde sit up, "If I was going to sleep with you Aldorina, it wouldn't be when you were exhausted and half-drunk." He nudged her across his room and towards the door, grabbing her bag on the way.

"What if I get killed in the middle of the night, by a… killer?" She whined, once they were out in the well-lit hallway.

"Killed by a killer?" Seto asked with amusement, "Shvakova, you get even wittier as time goes on."

Ali chuckled a little; Seto pulled a card out of his pocket and swiped it in the door of the hotel room they had stopped at. There was a soft click and he opened it, nudging Ali in first then following.

The Russian flicked a light on and looked around, it wasn't as big as her condo, but it was about the same size as Seto's suite. The bed looked equally inviting, but hanging from her four-poster bed were dark brown, velvet curtains.

Seto noticed immediately that the dark brown velvet bore a striking resemblance to Ali's eyes, but he didn't pay too much attention to the fact. Instead he stepped into the kitchen.

"I told the staff to leave lots of junk food, and candy." He rolled his eyes when Ali smiled from ear-to-ear.

"You're so considerate."

"If you want any real food, call room service. I don't trust you working a stove."

Ali pouted, "Hey! I am an excellent cook! You've had my mother's food, it's genetic." She squared her shoulders proudly.

"Because you are just so much like your mother." Seto drawled sarcastically. Before Ali could whine, he continued, "Everything should be arranged in my name, but if anyone gives you a hard name, tell them to call my room."

"Alright." Ali smirked. Seto handed her the worn purple duffle he'd carried from the room.

"There isn't a wake up call scheduled, but try to be out of bed by nine tomorrow morning, okay? I'll be leaving early to fix things up at Kaiba Corp. and I should be done by then."

"Okay." Ali yawned, lightly. "Then we'll go see my parents, and then…?"

Seto didn't answer. He walked back to the door, Ali trailed behind him.

"So you'll be awake by…"

"… nine." Ali finished.

"Good." Seto nodded, he turned to leave, but Ali caught his face in her hands, quickly. She pressed her lips against the side of his face quickly before pulling back, trying to hide her blush by looking at the floor she said goodnight again and closed the door behind the brunette.

Once he was gone, she leaned against the back of the door. She bit down on her lip, she didn't regret the action, but she wished that she had a legitimate explanation to explain it. She didn't think she had any feelings for Seto beside friendship, but things seemed to be changing every day.

"Maybe his weird-ass ways are rubbing off on me." She muttered stepping away from the door and immediately rushing for the bed. She pulled the covers over her head, relishing in the ridiculously high thread count, and the crisp linen smell. "Or maybe it's because I haven't gotten laid in forever." She added, letting her eyes fall shut. She was asleep in moments.

The moment Seto was back in his room, he poured himself another flute of champagne, downing it in moments. Lying to Ali was something he could live with, especially if it was only to keep her safe. But when she did small, stupid things like kiss his cheek, he couldn't suppress the guilt. He downed another glass.

She was too gullible; she was too quick to believe anything that sounded fun. And it made him worry even more for her, because it was bound to bite her in the ass sooner than later. No matter what he did to keep her from falling for something that would harm her, intentionally.

* * *

REVIEWREVIEWREVIEW  
Of I will never update again. Not buying it? Yeah... I'm too nice. You should be too. Leave me a lil something.

(NOTE2: To everyone who has requested oneshots, they're coming! I'm just waiting until I have the time to polish them and such. You have not been forgotten.)

WHEW! That was a lot of notes. I'm done, 'kay? 'Kay.

KC.


	35. Running Your Mouth

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **35

**Title:** Running Your Mouth

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

**Sorry for the wait. This one was... difficult.**

* * *

Seto stepped out of his limo in front of the hotel. It was three in the afternoon, a great deal later than he had told Ali to expect. But exactly when he had planned on showing up. He didn't expect that she'd be waiting. So when his eyes caught sight of a blonde girl, her exact height, wearing her coat, he had to blink a few times to convince himself it was really her.

In fact, if not for the new coat she'd been wearing lately—he was sure it had something to do with Mai—he would have looked straight past her.

She was sitting on the steps in front of the hotel, staring around at the people passing on the streets, grinning at anyone who met her eye. It wasn't this that threw Seto off—although the sight of Ali out of bed before noon was shocking—but the fact that she looked… presentable.

Eventually her eyes flickered to the CEO, it was hard not to notice him, in America people whispered and pointed whenever he stepped out in public. She had underestimated the height of his fame in Japan, where people were so used to seeing him, they mostly left them alone. In America… it was a different story.

She stood up quickly and skipped toward him, it was snowing lightly and a few flakes caught on her eyelashes. A few of the onlookers thought that she was just a fellow fan approaching, and decided they should too. But the moment a few girls holding autograph books stepped past Ali, they were immediately intercepted by three tall men wearing casual clothing.

Ali skidded to a halt and stared, she was close enough to Seto that he only had to take a few steps forward to usher her to the limo. She followed, still staring at the men, and the crowd of people snapping photos. Only when the doors of the car had closed behind them did she find her voice again.

"What the Hell? You're six hours late, asshole. And when did you get bodyguards?" she stared at the CEO.

Her words fell on deaf ears; Seto just stared blankly at the blonde. He tried to keep the surprise from registering in his eyes, but it wasn't easy. Her hair had been brushed and left loose, but it was pinned away from her face, rather than flying around her head. She wasn't wearing any obvious makeup, but Seto could swear that her eyes seemed to pop more than usual, and her skin shone a little. She'd put on lip chap, so for once her lips didn't look dry.

"Hey douchebag, answer me!"

And the illusion was gone immediately; this was still the same old Ali.

"What?" Seto asked, disinterestedly, he pulled out his BlackBerry and tried to act as though he had been too preoccupied with thoughts of business to hear her the first time.

"I said, when did you get bodyguards?" Ali snapped. There was no point in asking why he was late, when it came to Seto and work… time was relative.

"When I was…" he paused in thought, "twelve."

Ali blinked, "Why haven't I seen them around?"

"They like to be as invisible as possible."

"Whoa." Ali gazed out the window. "So… I called my parents."

Seto glanced up from his BlackBerry, there was something in her tone that heavily suggested that there was more to be said. "And?"

"They…" her eyes stared out as they passed cars; a smile broke out onto her face, "are super excited to see us." She turned to flash a huge grin at Seto.

Seto wanted to smile back, but hearing her say 'us' the way she had, have him the strangest sensation in his gut. So instead, he glanced away.

"You actually bothered with your appearance." He knew it wasn't the nicest thing to say in the situation—especially since Ali hadn't tried to bicker with him, yet—but it made the strange feeling diminish.

Ali stared down at her outfit; Mai had 'confiscated' the majority of the clothes Ail had packed, and replaced them with her own designs. She was wearing jeans, but they weren't ripped or stained, and they fit her properly. Under the white wool coat, a white cashmere sweater was just waiting to be spilled on. Ali bit her lip, she hadn't wanted to go along with her friend's wardrobe switch… but the thought that Seto might not shrug her off like he did with his fans had convinced her.

She couldn't explain it, but as time went one, she craved more and more attention from the CEO. And although she would take negative, she wanted positive attention.

"Yeah, well Mai has been shoving her designs down my throat for a while." She said awkwardly.

"You should thank her." Seto replied without looking up. He caught himself off-guard with the statement, but it was probably in his best interest to get into her good books while he still had time. "Where do your parents live?"

Ali coughed lightly, "Fifth Avenue."

Seto's eyes immediately snapped to the blonde. He had been prepared for any answer but that. Fifth Avenue was well known as one of the most expensive, high class places to live in the world. The eighteen-year-old rebel across from him certainly did not seem like someone who came from a Fifth Avenue family.

"I know what you're thinking," she glared back "'How did someone like me come from a Fifth Avenue family?'"

"You took the words straight from my mouth."

Ali leaned toward the brunette until they were so close she only had to whisper for him to hear her perfectly.

"How did someone like _you_ come from being ripped apart everyday?" She stared directly into his eyes, not even bothering with modesty. "Where we were raised doesn't determine who we become." She shrugged and pulled back.

"I suppose one can always fall from grace." The CEO said, keeping his eyes glued to Ali's, still.

"Or rise from the ashes."

Seto was immediately reminded of Ali's Christmas tattoo, the phoenix rising from ashes engulfed in flames. He closed his eyes, breaking the eye contact; it had never occurred to him that the tattoo across her ribcage could have meaning to it. He'd assumed it was just the wild blonde being crazy.

Ali rolled down the window that separated the passengers from the driver and began giving him directions and chatting lightly. Seto listened half-heartedly as Ali inquired about things like how the weather had been. It didn't matter to him. Fifth Avenue was at the other end of the city.

He, in fact, had an apartment in the area, where he sometimes stayed during business trips; when the hotel he booked would get leaked, and he didn't feel like being swarmed by fans. Ali continued to chatter on, and the driver seemed confused as to why Seto Kaiba was travelling with a hyper teen.

Seto was still mulling over the fact that he had been mulling over Ali for so long with no real conclusion.

--

"Mama! Nana!" Ali shouted, yanking open the door to her parents apartment. Seto smirked, she sounded like a child when she spoke in her first language.

Immediately David and Karina stepped from wherever they had been, into the foyer of the huge apartment. Seto was still surprised that the people who had raised Ali were the kind of people who could afford to live in a Fifth Avenue apartment. He had expected something in a red-light district.

The family began greeting each other in rapid Russian. Seto was able to follow what they were saying well enough, but he wasn't nearly fluent enough to join in. Not that he would have.

Finally, Karina stepped around her daughter to take his coat.

"So, you've brought home another one." She said, scornfully, speaking in English, as it was a common language they could all understand. Seto respected the woman's way of dealing with Ali, but couldn't stand being regarded as just another of Ali's friends.

"Actually, I brought her home." He said sharply. He'd expected to get a negative reaction, and probably would have if not for Ali bursting out in laughter.

"Sorry." She stuttered, wiping her eyes which had begun to water, "I just can't get over the accent." She straightened her back when both her mother and Seto sent her angry glares.

"What brings you back home?" David asked, he couldn't have hidden the smile on his face if he's wanted to. It was obvious how happy he was to see his daughter back home again.

"That bastard." She pointed in the CEO's direction, "Not that I mind, of course."

Ali and her father giggled as if there was a joke that Seto and Karina didn't understand. When the older woman was about to cut in and ask what was funny, Ali skipped into the living room.

"That's my baby girl." David smirked, motioning for them to follow.

Once everyone had taken a seat—Ali was lying on the carpet in front of the fireplace, Karina and Seto were on the loveseat, and David in an arm chair—Karina turned to examine Seto.

"I suppose you think that just because you are sleeping with my daughter, I will accept you?" she asked, coldly.

"Ma…" Ali groaned, pulling herself into a sitting position, "Don't you remember meeting Seto? He had dinner with us at Christmas."

The woman studied Seto. "No." she quipped.

"You'll have to forgive my wife, she doesn't watch the news much, and she has a bad memory when it comes to faces… and names." David tried, but explaining that Karina didn't know who Seto Kaiba was like trying to explain how a bee could not know the queen of its hive.

"Either way… you'll have to earn my respect if you want it." The blue-eyed Russian replied, waving her hand.

"I wouldn't expect any other arrangement." Seto smirked.

There was a short silence; short because it was immediately broken by the sound of Ali's stomach groaning.

"I'm starving." She whined, picking a piece of lint from her shirt and tossing it onto the fire.

"We heard." David laughed.

Seto was surprised that Karina immediately rose from the couch, "I'll go fix something, you missed lunch." Though she might be hand on Ali, she was still a mother who loved her child.

Ali and her father started prattling on about small things that had happened since they had last seen each other. Seto took the opportunity to study the room. It was large and traditionally decorated, save for the few modern trinkets here and there.

Above the fireplace, a large picture of Ali and her parents hung on the wall. Ali looked a few years younger, her hair was curled and she was wearing a dark green blouse, she was sitting while both adults were standing with their hands on her shoulders.

Seto stole a glance at the Ali who was kneeling in front of her father, laughing about something or another. They were certainly not the same girl.

Even in her parents' decadent apartment, in proper clothes, she was still a wild spirit. The girl in the picture was wearing a reserved smile that Seto didn't recognize. And though he though he should… he didn't like it at all.

"Yo, Kaiba." Ali called loudly, clapping her hands together, "Get out of La-La Land and tell my dad about Mokuba's progress!"

"Aldorina has done a good job with him." Seto nodded.

Ali tilted her head, and then in quick Japanese asked, "Are you alright?"

Seto nodded, and to avoid the confused look on David's face, he changed the subject.

"This is a lovely apartment." He commented.

"Karina picked it out when we came to America." David smiled, "I wanted a studio apartment somewhere else but what Kari wants, she gets. And Ali picked up that trait."

Ali grunted, sarcastically, "I wish. I wouldn't mind getting everything I want." She rolled her eyes, but not before she let them linger on Seto for a moment. "I'm going to go see what Mom is cooking." She stood up and skipped from the room.

David opened his mouth to speak to Seto, but there was a loud thump in the hallway.

"Owwwww."

"We just had the floors waxed, Pumpkin, I wouldn't suggest sock-gliding." He managed to say through a laugh. When he turned his brown eyes to Seto, the CEO was wearing an expression that told David he completely understood life with Ali.

"That's my baby girl." David sighed, "I hope you know that."

"Excuse me?" Seto's attention was fully on the man, now.

"She seems quite taken with you, but she's still my daughter, and I will still do everything in my power to keep her safe." His brown eyes were fixed on the CEO.

If Seto had been standing at this point, he would have risked losing his footing. Ali's father thought she was 'taken' with him? Ali, who regarded him as 'douchebag' more often than his actual name? Seto couldn't help but feel that he was missing a part of the equation.

"I would not risk Ali's safety." Seto replied, simply. He expected David to elaborate on the subject, but he only nodded and smiled.

"She's doing well. She looks great. I haven't seen her so together since before Lance disappeared."

Seto was beginning to wish that he'd stopped for a few martinis before visiting Ali's parents. Not only did they have a huge misunderstanding of their daughter's affiliation with him, but they could easily talk about subjects that Ali avoided.

"I think my brother keeps here straight."

"Well either way, I have to thank you. If she keeps going like this, she'll make something of herself before twenty." He smiled sadly, "My baby girl isn't far away from twenty…"

Just then Ali skipped back into the room on her mother's heels. They were speaking in rapid Russian, and Karina's hard expression had softened, she was even smiling lightly at whatever Ali was saying. David snickered, too, when he caught onto what they were talking about. Seto tried to understand, but they were conversing too quickly, he caught a few words though, and judging by Ali's enthusiasm, she was talking about Mokuba.

The moment Ali finished what she was saying she switched back to English—for Seto's benefit.

"Mom made Creole eggplant soup!" she smiled, "Come eat."

Seto tried to stifle his laugh with a cough, but he couldn't quite manage it. Ali glared at him and, again, reverting to Japanese snapped.

"What's funny?"

"The notion that every time Shardi tries to feed you a dish you haven't heard of you scoff. When you see vegetable you throw a fit, and yet you're getting excited over eggplant soup."

Ali stuck her tongue out as Karina frowned, "If the two of you can't speak in a language we all understand then don't speak." She turned on her heel and left for the kitchen. David followed her quickly, apologizing to Seto for his wife's disrespect, Ali rolled her eyes.

"Don't be a dick." She hissed, "Calm the fuck down, you're giving my dad a seizure."

"I haven't said anything." Seto objected.

"Exactly!" Ali whispered angrily, so she wouldn't be heard by her parents, "Try acting like a fucking human being, I don't want my parents to think you're just another jerk."

Seto stared down at her, lost for words. "What do you want them to think?"

She shook her head and stepped out of the room before he could press for an answer. The food ended up being delicious, and Seto told Karina so. They'd returned to the living room afterwards and sat together until conversation began to flow comfortably. Before Seto realized it hours had passed.

"Okay! It's officially six pm, and I am fetching booze." Ali announced.

"Aldorina, you know I don't like you drinking." Karina interjected, watching as her daughter stood up.

"Mama, I live alone on a different continent. It's time to start treating me like a grown-up." She flashed a smile, "What's everyone drinking?"

"I have a nice bottle of red you can grab." David smirked, "I've been saving it for a special occasion, and since this is the first time you've been home in a while…" he trailed off suggestively.

Ali grinned and nodded, she darted out of the room, returning a few minutes later with two bottles of wine and four glasses. She laughed as her father popped the cork on the first bottle. Ali's high spirits were rubbing off even on Karina, and Seto was feeling better than he had in the past few days.

Seto found that Karina, though generally quiet and difficult, was an extremely intelligent woman when she got talking. She chatted about growing up in Russia, and how different America was. After a few glasses, David even began telling Seto how they had met.

David had been travelling in Russia—Ali had got her love for travelling from her father—where he'd met Karina. As with any American boy, he'd fallen in love with her exotic nature and stunning features, Karina had been pleased by all the attention from a rich American.

"When we found out she was pregnant, we got married. And I guess you know the rest." David smiled at Seto.

"Okay, Daddy. No one cares about your little romance stories." Ali rolled her eyes. She's probably had too much wine by this point because she threw her arms around when she spoke.

"Well it's how you came to be, Pumpkin."

"No," she smiled, standing up to spin awkwardly in the dim light cast by the fire, "I came to be when the universe decided that there wasn't enough fun in the world!" She smiled so widely, yet so genuinely, Seto could see the flames reflecting off her teeth. "The fun is heeeerrreee!" she sang foolishly.

David laughed and Karina even let out a graceful chuckle, Seto gave a fleeting smirk knowing that Ali could be right. Suddenly, though, she got a look on her face suggesting that she'd just remembered something. Then, quickly, she shuffled from the room.

"Hey, fun, where are you going?" David called after her, but all he got was a reply muffled by the walls she had put between them.

She brought an acoustic guitar back with her.

"Daddy! Let's sing!" she smiled like a child. She crawled to sit at David's feet and started playing the guitar, it was slightly out of tune, probably from sitting in her storage of things since she had last been home.

"_And he's oh so good,  
And he's oh so fine,  
And he's oh so healthy in his body and his mind.  
He's a well respected man about town,  
Doing the best things so conservatively." _

They were singing, and laughing, like it was a private joke between them. Karina looked like she was used to it, and as she watched her family, she looked like maybe—even just a little—she had missed seeing her daughter as a part of the family.

Seto glanced at his watch; it was already eight in the evening. Karina caught him looking.

"Oh my, you kids probably have somewhere to be." She quipped. It seemed her icy mood had been melted away by Ali's smiles.

"We should be getting back, I need to call my brother." Seto said.

Ali nodded and pulled herself up, wobbly. Seto had only had a few glasses of the wine, but both bottles were now empty—thanks to Ali's heavy contribution. David walked her to the door with his arm around her shoulders.

"Well I hope we get to see you soon, Ali." He smiled, kissing her quickly on the forehead. "And it was nice to meet you, again, Mr. Kaiba."

Seto nodded and shook the man's hand. Karina swept her daughter's hair out of her face—it had fallen over the hours—and smiled warmly. She said something lowly in Russian, Ali smiled too and kissed her mother's cheek.

"Night guys!" she called over her shoulder before the door closed behind her.

"Well that was fun." She smiled at Seto as they stepped out of the building.

"It was." Seto agreed, scanning the street. "Where is my driver?"

Ali looked around, too, "I don't know. I don't think you called, did you?"

Seto frowned, in the midst of visiting with Ali's family he'd forgotten to call his driver.

"That's okay. We can walk around." She smiled, it was dark but Seto could see her face in the glow of the street lights. There were people walking around them and cars driving past, but Ali seemed oblivious. She grabbed his hand and pulled him down the sidewalk with her.

"So, what do you think of my mom? You've always reminded me of her."

"She's a lovely woman. Are you sure she's your mother."

"Shut up Seto, I take after my daddy." She punched him playfully in the shoulder.

To anyone passing, it would have been and odd sight, two people conversing in rapid Japanese in the middle of New York. But no one paid much attention.

"I love New York." Ali said loudly, throwing her hands up and breathing in the air. It was still snowing lightly and she stuck her tongue out to catch a flake on her tongue.

Unfortunately, too much wine and a naturally lack of grace caused her to slip towards Seto as the snow was melting on her tongue. Not missing a beat, the CEO caught her by the shoulders.

"You never really know when to stop drinking, do you Shvakova?" Seto asked sarcastically, staring down at the blonde in his arms.

She stuck her tongue out at him, "Well you don't know when to stop pretending." She muttered pulling herself straight again.

"What does that mean?"

"You like me." Ali giggled, twirling around a lamp post.

Seto was caught off-guard. Not only had he not expected her to say such a thing, but she'd said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well I appreciate all you've done for Mokuba and--"

"No. You want me." She corrected. "Seto Kaiba wants me!" she shouted dramatically. Someone on the other side of the street yelled a loud 'that's nice' and Ali laughed. Seto however was not impressed. He pulled Ali close and clasped a hand over her mouth.

"Don't bring unnecessary attention to us. If I get spotted, we'll have an entirely new set of problems." He took his hand from her mouth.

"That's okay, though. 'Cause I want him, too." She whispered so that only he could hear her. Then she pulled herself closer and kissed him. Seto hadn't expected it, but he wasn't entirely surprised, either. He pulled away.

"Stop it, you need to go to bed."

Ali giggled and pushed him off the sidewalk into the shadow of a building. "Will you come?" she joked, pulling her face up to kiss him again. This time Seto let it linger for a moment before he turned away.

"Shvakova, you're drunk."

"Drunken mouths speak sober hearts." She was laughing anymore, she lifted her hands to his shoulders and yanked him down, this time Seto couldn't held but letting his hands graze her elbows and rest on her back.

To anyone passing, they were just another couple kissing in the shadows but, of course, Seto's brain was trying to wrap around what was happening. Ali was kissing him, he was letting her—no, he was contributing—they were in New York, and he had an apartment barely a block away. Then, there was the issue of the way he had no objection, really, Ali could possibly be right. He didn't hate her, but he didn't love her.

"Seto…" she pulled away breathless, "I can smell your hair burning. Stop thinking."

And he did. Seto pulled Ali's face up by the chin and crashed his mouth against hers. Her hands were like fire, flying across his skin and landing in his hair to yank and stoke every strand she came in contact with.

Before he realized what he was doing, Seto had taken Ali by the wrist and started pulling her in the direction of the apartment he hadn't visited in months.

"Where are we going?" the blonde asked, breathlessly.

"We're going to my apartment."

"You have an apartment here? Why didn't we just go there, why did we bother with a hotel and--"

"One bedroom." Seto snapped. Ali quieted down, but Seto felt her pace quicken.

Generally, in Seto's case, these things were planned. When he needed this type of thing, he'd find an attractive amateur model and plan. At the very least, it was expected.

But when Ali pulled him into the elevator in the apartment building, he was still surprised. When she pushed him against the door as they were lifted to the top floor—luckily, the elevator was empty—he was still in a numb, electric shock.

Luckily, the doorman recognized him, and Seto was into the apartment in moments, Ali hot on his heels. Inside, things only escalated. No words were exchanged. Ali's fingers yanked the turtle neck over his head, clumsily, once their coats had been dropped and their shoes kicked off. Seto let his instincts take over when Ali dropped her own shirt to the floor, all reason was lost.

"Seto…" Ali started, she was straddling him against the headboard, fiddling with the buckle of his jeans. Her fingers were nervous.

"What?" he asked, barely aware that she had spoken. The infamous CEO might be world renowned for his control, but as nineteen year old males went, he was still one of them. And the testosterone coursing through his body was too much to ignore at the moment.

"Speak now or forever hold your peace." She whispered against his lips, finally pulled his belt free. "I'm not stopping after this point."

Seto didn't say a word, only nestled his hand on the back of her head and brought her head down so he could kiss her.

It wasn't what Seto had expected. Ali wasn't as wild and insane out of her clothes as she was in them—or maybe it was just around him. But he wasn't disappointed either, all the times she had sworn that she knew what she was doing had been honest. Seto had to grit his teeth at times to keep from crying out. There was another element to it that he couldn't describe. It felt like—although neither of them had woken up that morning and known this would happen—it wasn't an accident. 'Meant to be' would be an overstatement, and something that Seto Kaiba would never say, but it certainly felt like there were outside forces pushing them together.

Ali groaned and nipped at his collar bone, pulling the CEO from his thought and back into the heat of the moment—literally.

Of all the things that could possibly have happened between them, this relaxed and excited—no pun intended—Seto at the same time. If feelings were playing any part in this, then Ali would understand when he told her why he had taken her to America.

Right?

* * *

**Hm, maybe if I get lotsa reviews, I'll update VERY VERY soon...  
KC.**


	36. Trying to Find the Magic

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **36

**Title:** Trying to Find the Magic

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

* * *

Ali's eyes fluttered open, the room she was in was flooded with the sun's early rays. She was lying on the edge of a bed, facing toward a huge bay window, looking out on the street she knew so well as Fifth Avenue. It took barely a second for everything that had happened the previous night to filter back into her memory.

She rolled over, carefully, and her eyes rested on the back of a sleeping figure—of course, she knew exactly who it was. Seto's thin back was covered by a white satin sheet, and Ali realized that all of the blankets must have been tossed off the bed the night before.

She blushed and bit down on her lip, for a self-centered prick, the CEO hadn't been nearly as terrible as she had predicted between the sheets. Or on the floor. Or over the edge of the bed. Or up against the wall, if she was remembering properly. She smirked to herself and scooted over to twirl a lock of his hair between her fingers.

"Uh… morning." She muttered, knowing full well that he was already awake.

"You're up." Seto stated, his voice was clear unlike her groggy morning pipes. Of course, with all the noise she had been making the night before, a sore throat was expected.

"Yeah. What time is it?"

"Eight."

There was a long silence; Ali studied the back of the CEO's head. She had succeeded in messing is hair up, if nothing else. Beginning to feel slightly awkward, the blonde draped an arm over Seto's waist and ran her fingers over his stomach.

"I take back everything I said about you being useless for anything but making money." She murmured, stroking the soft, tight skin of his abdomen. When she didn't a response, she spoke again, "Do you need to do anything today?"

"I should probably go check in on the company." He said slowly.

"But you don't _need_ to?" Ali probed. To make her point she left her fingers dip a little further down.

"Aldorina…" Seto sighed, grasping her hand and pulling it away. He rolled over to look her in the eyes. But the second he laid eyes on her, he stopped.

Ali's hair was tangled, her lips looked swollen and her bare shoulders peeking out from under the sheet displayed small, light bite marks. He held his tongue, unable to deny anymore what they had done last night.

"What?" she prompted, "Am I in trouble?" her brown eyes opened widely as she gave her best interpretation of a kicked puppy.

"You look ridiculous." Seto rolled his eyes, "I was just going to say that I can't very well spend all day in bed with you."

Ali smirked, "If someone had told me months ago that I would be having this conversation with you—I'd probably laugh in their face."

"I agree."

"But really," she propped herself up on an elbow, "You never have any fun, you spend all day with forty-year-old rich guys. Can't you just take a day? It's not like anyone needs you there."

Seto sighed and pulled himself out of the bed to search for his jacket. He didn't fail to notice Ali's breathing quicken when he stepped out, naked. Her eyes were practically burning unto his back.

He lifted his jacket from the floor and pulled out his cell phone and dialled. When he turned around with the phone to his ear, he saw Ali give a sad frown. It was obvious that she though he was calling his driver.

"Hello, this is Seto Kaiba. I'm going to need breakfast here. No eggs." He quipped into the phone and hung up. When he tossed his phone onto an end table by the door, he saw Ali grin at him.

"You remembered that I hate eggs." She smiled.

"With all the fits you throw every time you see an egg, I'd have to be an idiot to forget." He opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a white dress shirt and a pair of black slacks. Even if he rarely visited the apartment, he liked to have clean clothes there at all times.

"Hey, why are you getting dressed?" Ali protested, jumping out of bed. For a split second, the CEO allowed himself to look her over. The phoenix tattoo with the piercing blue eyes, the way her knotted hair fell just past her shoulders, and everything else there was to look at.

"I can't answer the door naked." Seto rolled his eyes and turned around to slip into his clothes. He didn't make it, though; before Ali's hands rest on his hips and she let her teeth graze against the base of his neck.

"I'm sure no one will mind."

"That gets to the presses and Mokuba reads that I was answering doors, naked in my apartment with a mysterious blonde?" he drawled, using the terms he was sure the papers would.

"Hm…" Ali hummed into his back before dancing out in front of him and leaning against the dressed, "Who's the mysterious blonde? She sounds hot."

Seto rolled his eyes and tossed a white dress shirt at her. Grudgingly, she pulled it on and buttoned it. The shirt fell to her knees and made her look like a young child. She skipped back to the bed where she rolled onto her stomach and watched, with her hands propping in her head up, as Seto dressed.

"Have you ever drank juice through your nose?" she asked, still staring at the brunette.

"That's the most ridiculous question anyone has ever asked me."

"Not even as a child?"

"No."

Ali sighed and rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She was trying to untangle her hair with her fingers when Seto's face appeared over her. She opened her mouth to make another statement about the oddity that was a child who never drank through his nose, but Seto leaned down and caught her lips before she could. She used one hand to hang onto his face and the other to pull him onto the bed by his back. He made a small grunt in protest, but gave up when Ali rolled him over and let her teeth graze his earlobe.

"Breakfast will be here in a few minutes." He sighed, but made no physical effort to stop her.

"They can watch."

"Ali, I don't think you understand what a delicate position I'm in."

Ali pulled her head up from sucking on the CEO's neck, "What position? What's the worst that could happen? Someone comes and drops off breakfast, catches a glimpse you being completely human and life goes on. It's not like we're having a scandalous relationship or anything."

Seto blinked, although she had a valid point, it raised another question completely. Scandalous or not, were they having a relationship? Or was it just all the benefits of a relationship with a less-than-friendship understanding?

Either way, when her small hands snuck under his shirt and her fingers grazed against his stomach, it didn't really matter what kind of relationship they were having.

Unfortunately, just as Ali's hands were becoming reintroduced to the zipper of his pants, there was a knock at the door. The Russian groaned loudly.

"I'll go get it," she sighed and hopped up before the CEO could object. She turned to smirk evilly at him just before she yanked the door open.

"You have got to be fucking me." Ali said loudly. Her eyes were trained on the man in the hall.

"Well I'm not, but it looks like you have _that_ base covered." Mikhail sneered, raking his eyes over Seto's shirt that was still covering half of her body. He didn't wait for an invitation in—knowing that there wouldn't be one—but stepped straight past Ali.

Seto who had heard the commotion was half way across the room already. Mikhail was frowning deeply, when their eyes met. The lawyer's hair was mussed from the wind outside and his coat still had a few water droplets where snow had melted on it.

"You sure think you're clever, don't you Mister Kaiba?" he snapped.

"Get out." Seto snapped back.

Ali looked terribly confused as she watched the two men stare each other down. "What are you doing here, Mikhail?"

"Why don't you ask your boyfriend?" he sneered at her, motioning to Seto. Ali would have quickly insisted that she and the CEO were not in a relationship, but it didn't seem to be the time. Instead her eyes flickered to Seto.

Seto didn't look at her, but continued to stare at Mikhail.

"We had a deal, Kaiba. I held up my end, and now you do this?"

"I held up my end, too." Seto said lowly. His fists were clenched at his sides and although Ali had never seen him strike anyone, she wasn't confident in assuming there was no chance of such a thing happening in this situation.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ali stepped forward so that she was next to Seto, "What deal?"

Mikhail flashed his signature menacing smirk at her and reached a hand out to flick at the collar of the shirt Seto had given her.

"This is a good look on you. Why don't you go shower and let the adults talk, Ali." He kept the patronizing grin on his face, even as Ali swatted his hand away.

"Spit it out or leave, Mikhail, we're busy." She bit back.

"I'm sure you are," the lawyer chuckled, "Seto, why don't you tell Ali about the agreement we had. I'm guessing you haven't already."

Ali's eyes turned to Seto, "Mikhail is a liar, I know you didn't plan anything with him." She said as she reached out to brush his hand with her fingers. He moved his hand the second he felt her touch.

The Russian bit her lip in frustration, "If somebody doesn't tell me what's going on I'm going to put a beating on both your asses." She promised though clenched teeth. Seto remained silent, but Mikhail laughed.

"Seto and I have been in contact for some time now," he started, "as soon as I quit your case with Kanata, he called me."

Seto tried to avoid Ali's eyes, but she stared at him for so long he had to meet her gaze. Without words, she begged him to object.

He didn't. So she turned back to Mikhail.

"Mr. Kaiba asked me to find Kanata and bring him to your trial so that you wouldn't lose. God knows you had no chance." He chuckled again.

"I don't understand how this is a bad thing." She coughed, trying to keep the betrayal that she was feeling from creeping into her voice. If Seto had been hiding it, there had to be more, Seto never hid anything unless he was ashamed of it.

"Well, as you know, Ali, I didn't need the money he offered. Especially not when there was such a better payment." He grinned evilly.

"What are you talking about…?"

"He's talking about you." Seto finally broke in. Ali stared from the CEO to the lawyer in bewilderment. Seto's eyes were blank, but the way he clenched his jaw heavily indicated that he was less than proud of what was going to be revealed. Mikhail's green eyes were unmoving from her face, his smirk resonated victory.

"Kaiba and I agreed that if I could keep you from going to prison and get Kanata to a safe place, I could have you."

"What?" Ali hissed.

"That's not true," Seto said calmly, "he wanted you to come to New York. The decision to return or not would be yours to make."

"But you knew that _I_ was to be the one who took her." Mikhail sneered.

"You never specified who would be--"

"It was more than obvious what my plans were!" Mikhail shouted, cutting Seto off.

"Wait…" Ali said quietly, turning both men's eyes on her, she was staring at her feet. "You two were making deals on who got to keep me?"

Seto's no and Mikhail's yes came in the same instance that Ali look up at the two.

"I knew that he would find a way to keep you here, so I made the trip with you." Seto stared at the blonde, but he could see in her eyes that it would take a miracle to change her mind from the conclusion she had come to.

"I wouldn't have even known she was here if not for seeing the two of you sucking face on the news this morning." Mikhail spat, "I knew you were a lot of things, Mr. Kaiba, but not a liar."

"You're getting married!" Ali shouted at Mikhail, "Why are you still fixating on me?!"

Another cocky grin, "Ali I know that Tiffany loves me, but she's a good girl from a good family. I'm still going to need some bad ass."

Ali blinked, "You're disgusting."

"And you're so much better?"

"Seto," Ali turned to the CEO, "why?"

Seto stared back, "I couldn't let you go to jail."

"Why didn't you tell me what this trip was really about?"

"Would you really have said no to him?" he nodded toward Mikhail whose face was glowing with pride.

Ali stared at both brunettes for a minute before she stepped toward Mikhail, she lifted a hand to his face and ran it down his cheek.

"You're right." She sighed. She stared in his vibrant green eyes from a moment before pulling back her hand and punching him squarely in the jaw. "I am bad." She stared at the trickled of blood dripping through his lips, "Believe me you can't handle it."

"You're going to wish you had me one day, and I won't be there." Mikhail hissed, he spat the blood at her feet before turning on his heels and slamming the door behind him.

Ali stood with her back to Seto for a moment before she turned around. She stared at him for a moment before lunging.

Her fingers yanked hard on his hair and she slapped him hard across the face, she attempted to kick him in the shin but in her bare feet there wasn't much of an impact.

"I am _not_ a stock, you asshole! You can't buy and sell me!" she screamed, grabbing the closest object to her and throwing it. The object turned out to be his BlackBerry.

"Calm down, Shvakova." Seto said calmly, ignoring the shattered phone at his feet.

"Fuck you, you're no different." She growled, bending and pulling her clothes from the previous night into her hands. She yanked on her pants quickly and turned back to Seto.

"Why does it even matter where on Earth I am, I'm obviously just another fucking object to you." She yelled angrily.

Seto tried to calm her, "If you disappeared, Mokuba would be heartbroken."

Ali's eyes changed so quickly, it scared him. From anger, they turned to the most drunken rage he had ever seen her in.

"Of course!" she screamed so loudly everyone on the floor must have heard, "Because I sure as hell won't be missed by you, right?" her voice didn't quiet down, "It's always Mokuba, isn't it? Well Seto, it was _you_ I was falling in love with, _not_ Mokuba!" she turned and snatched her shoes off the floor, halfway out the door she turned and stared at him again. "And what a stupid idea that was."

The door slammed behind and Seto could still hear her storming down the hall, quieting only when she must have entered the elevator.

After a few minutes, Seto's eyes turned to the bay window where he saw her standing on the street trying to hail a cab. After a few failed attempts, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket, looking like she was about to call for help, but after staring down at the device she just tossed it into the middle of the road where it was immediately trampled by oncoming traffic.

Seto understood, it was the cell phone he had given her, and she didn't want him to contact her. Moments later a cab pulled over and she stepped into it, not even turning back to look up at the building she had just exited.

The brunette stared down at the bed which was still a wreck from the night before and Ali's words screamed through his ears again. She was just being dramatic, as usual; of course she couldn't have really been falling in love with him. Seto knew Ali, and he knew that it would take a lot to make her change a lifetime of fearing the concept of commitment, one night of drunken passion wouldn't do it.

Still, though, he couldn't help but feel that he could have changed the entire outcome of the situation by telling the truth. The truth that Mokuba wouldn't be the only one affected if she left. The truth that in the time he had gotten to know Ali, he'd begun to have feels that weren't hate toward her.

But thinking about it just made it clearer that this was yet another thing in life that was too late to repair. After all that the crazy girl had done, he would be the one to ruin everything in the end. And now he had to explain to his brother why the blonde was gone.

Seto turned and looked at the broken cell phone still on his floor. He stepped to the table where a desk phone sat, unharmed from Ali's rage. He lifted it and dialled quickly.

"Hello. This is Seto Kaiba, I need to book a flight from New York to Japan this afternoon."

The woman on the other line babbled for a few minutes, confirming the flight.

"You you'll need a first-class flight to Japan which leaves in exactly two hours. Was that just one ticket?"

"Yes, just one ticket."

* * *

TBC.


	37. Epilogue

**Middle of the Summer**

**Chapter: **Epilogue

**Fiction Rated: **R for language, mature themes, adult humour and just stuff that tiny little people should not be reading about.

**Disclaimer: **I own only the characters that I create, and have no desire to kidnap those which I do not. I haven't the time (or the money) to organize such an event. Yu-Gi-Oh! Is credited to its respective owner— _Takahashi Kazuki_, I am simply borrowing his creations to carry out my biddings. Any songs that are mentioned in the duration of this story belong to (unless otherwise stated) the original composers. So ch'yeah! Keep your lawsuits in your pocket!

**Summary: **The two of them were nothing alike, and would probably have never become involved in each other's lives by choice. However, Mokuba's aspirations forced them to put up with each other, and much to their dismay- even enjoy it from time-to-time.

**NOTE: **I'd like to say a huge thank-you to everyone who has been reading this story, and everyone who has favourite/alerted you guys are the reason I kept going with this, and it was fun!

**Special thanks goes to: **_Arana Is, LightningRougeWolf, girl, someone, Chicken, Stephan Cardin, Shawnita, Shadowess 88, follow-the-light-review, scoli727, Ganondorf, FurryBunny, crayonZOMBIE, iCraft, WhiteDragonWarrior, Chickanooka, attackedbyangrysocks, crystal, Kitty243, Sandra-Lovegood, Jade, HeeHeeHee01, Walks In The Shadows, Angel Diary, valery01, Otaku4lyphe, Hunnybee, fang101, littlelethe, Kawaii Kookie, LOPE, Deathbecomes667, Tayler, Zoelle, WalkingDisasters, AceSpades, Snowii, Doesn't Matter, SoundzofSilence, sans, _and_ jjbb0x._

You guys kick serious McCain/Palin ass!

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Seto stared blankly at the computer screen, it was pushing midnight and he was still at the office, still finishing tedious work that could wait. Mokuba and he hadn't been on the best terms the past few months. They were still close, but the child didn't skip down the stairs and hug Seto when he came home, like he used to.

But the kid couldn't really be blamed, even Roswell and the maids didn't try to chat him up as often, and Shardi had noticed that he never cooked for three anymore. Footage of Ali and Seto kissing the last night they'd been together had circulated the news stations and gossip magazines until it inevitably died out when the public realized that the blonde wasn't to be seen anywhere.

It had been six months since he'd last seen the Russian, and since then she'd made no contact whatsoever. Even Mokuba was hurt when she didn't call—if only to speak to him. Mai had dropped by to pick up the things from her apartment, but she hadn't given a word of news to the CEO. She only looked sadly at him and left. From what Seto knew, Mai hadn't been back to visit at all, either.

Occasionally Joey would show up at the office and Seto if he'd heard anything from either girl. After a few months of no information, the boy gave up and now the only time Seto saw any of Ali's friends were when he was picking Mokuba from Yugi's house.

Although he would have liked to say that everything returned to normal after she was gone, Ali's fingerprints had covered his whole world half a year ago, and once washed away everything seemed too different. He was sure it would all become normal one day, but that day seemed far off.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small tape he'd been carrying with him all week. The tape Ali had given him for Christmas, still unheard. Sighing softly, the brunette placed it into the small cassette player he'd placed on his desk for the day when this moment would happen.

He hit play, with no idea what to expect, and Ali's laugh filtered through the air. She was laughing, with Mokuba following suit in the background. It was a sound he would never admit that he'd almost missed.

"_Okay, Seto if you're listening to this, it's probably because I'm dead or something._

_Ali! Don't say that!_

_Face it, kid, the only reason your brother would think to play this is if I died or something."_

She laughed again, and Mokuba groaned.

"_So anyway, I know this is totally dorky. But your actual present is back at that lame store where we bought Mokuba's birthday present. You probably don't remember that day, so here's the address…"_

Seto stared at the tape player, he wanted to say 'how could I forget with all the trouble you caused that day', what with her diabetes melt down, and her attempt to buy Mokuba soft-core pornographic images. But Ali wasn't around to hear the sarcastic remark, so he kept quiet, jotting down the address.

"_I told the lady to hold it until you came to get it. Because I have a feeling it will be a while. Hey Mokuba, maybe by the time Seto listens to this you'll be like… really old._

_He'll listen to it before I'm old._

_Whatever. Anyway, Mokuba has sworn to me that under no circumstance will he tell you about this until you figure it out for yourself. So hopefully you do. Merry Christmas, Sunshine. Or not, depending on when you actually listen to this."_

Seto was out of his chair the moment the tape ended, car keys in hand and his coat fluttering behind him as he left his office.

The chances that the little knick-knack store would be open so late were almost non-existent, but Seto couldn't help it when he pulled up to the mall. The front doors were locked, so he tried to find the back doors, luckily there was a light still on and when he knocked there was an answer.

"I'm sorry we're… are you Seto Kaiba?" the janitor gaped.

"Yes. Is the owner of that antique… knick-knack store still here, by any chance?" he tried not to think about how Ali would have laughed to hear him say 'knick-knack' but couldn't help it. Such things were always bouncing through his mind.

"Actually… yes, she is. Here…"

Seto swept past the man before he could say anything else. He was walking so quickly that anyone who saw him could have thought him to be running from something. He saw a dim light on in the shop and when he stepped in, the lady who owned it was at the front counter counting her money.

"Seto Kaiba." She said when she spotted him, obviously remembering who he was this time, "I assume you're hear to pick up the painting?"

Seto nodded, so it was a painting, then. The woman disappeared into the back for a few moments before returning, holding a large frame in her hands.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come in and pick this up. That girl sure spent a dime to get her design interpreted by the artist; it would be a shame to waste." She turned it around so that Seto could see the painting in the dim light.

Seto's eyes widened as he took in the colours of the artwork. A Blue-Eyes White Dragon was sleeping on a sheet of ice, in the center of what looked like a lake. But from the corner a summer landscape had begun to fade in over the wintery blandness. The sun and light appeared to be pulled from the tail of a small cardinal flying toward the dragon.

Seto tried not to react as he took the artwork and thanked the woman, but what appeared to be an unusual painting was something that only he and Ali would understand. In all truth, he had been sleeping on an icy plane before she brought light into his life.

Seto stepped back outside into the night; the warm summer air caressed his hair against his face. He looked again at the picture, a small bird vibrant in colour, free to soar as it pleased, carrying joy along with it. That was Ali.

He spotted a large dumpster against one of the walls and immediately tossed the painting into. Ali already flown away and he didn't need a daily reminder that he was the reason for it.

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Stay tuned.  
Check my blog for an update soon about what is coming next, and how long you'll have to wait. Thanks again for all the support.


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